


Who We Want to Be

by jes3



Category: Naruto, Naruto (Anime) RPF
Genre: Blank Period, Drama & Romance, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Gen, Hatake Kakashi-centric, Heartbreak, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Hatake Kakashi, Jealousy, Light Dom/sub, Minor Tenten/Rock Lee, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Other, POV First Person, Possessive Hatake Kakashi, Post-War, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Romance, SI, Self-Insert, Tenten is my favorite so she has a lot of scenes, a bit OOC for Kakashi Hatake, a bit of, angst i think, but I tried not to be too much, but in the sexiest way?, but not to writing, controlling Hatake Kakashi, dubcon, i think??, new to fanfiction, time gap between 6th and 7th Hokage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:15:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 57,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jes3/pseuds/jes3
Summary: Kakashi Hatake abuses his power as Hokage to keep her safe.It's so overbearing that she can't take it anymore. After all, they're no longer dating, so why does he even care?But when he strikes a deal that's too good to pass up, things get messy. He's in control now, and trouble has found her once again.Kakashi Hatake x OC
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Original Female Character(s), Hatake Kakashi/Reader
Comments: 242
Kudos: 322





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fictional story. I also purposefully didn't give OC a name in this story so it's easier to self-insert as intended. Please keep that in mind and enjoy!

I was happy for him when he became Hokage. I really was. I was so proud too.

I felt a pang in my chest as I watched it all happen.

I heard rumors he’s become smitten with the new lord of the Hōzuki Castle. I tried not to pay much attention to it.

I kept my head down, my presence at a minimum. Ever since that fateful night, I didn’t really do much.

I heard at the end of Tsunade’s term, Kakashi would challenge her whenever I was sent on a mission he deemed too dangerous. Of course this was all relayed to me via Shizune who was the only one present for those arguments.

It made me frown.

Now a few months into being Hokage, he was messing with me. I just knew it.

Compared to my other friends, they went on higher rank missions and I was stuck on lame ones. Whenever I would wound up on an A-rank mission by chance, Shikamaru would always come and give me the bad news that I was being reassigned. This didn’t bother me so much the first couple of times, but when it was the seventh time, it was no longer a coincidence. It was a fucking pattern.

After that, I never chanced on those high rank missions again. Even now that I am a Jonin. I was furious.

One day, after being assigned on yet _another_ C-rank mission, I lost my temper. I went straight to the Hokage Tower and marched right up those stairs. I gave murderous glances at anyone who tried to keep me from going down to the Hokage’s office.

When I saw Shikamaru close the Hokage’s door behind him, he looked surprised to see me. Then his whole face shifted when he saw how furious I was. “... now is not the best time.” He grasped onto the handle, blocking my way.

“Move.” My voice was low and dangerous. I didn’t hide my fury as I felt electricity dance upon my fingertips.

Shikamaru noticed and glanced down at my hands. I curled them into fists. “Okay, let’s first calm down.”

“Shikamaru, I said _move_.”

“I—"

I grabbed his arm before he could think and threw him against the opposite wall of the door. I opened the door with much gusto and let it whip around as it hit the door stopper on the wall. Kakashi didn’t even seem fazed as he kept writing at whatever he was signing.

“What can I do for you on this fine day?” he said nonchalantly. It was his casual tone that pissed me right off.

I gritted my teeth.

Shikamaru finally got up and came towards the doorway, grabbing my arm. “Hey—"

“Let me go!” I said, shaking him off. I walked in and slammed the door in Shikamaru’s face. I turned to Kakashi who still hadn’t looked up, scribbling something into the forms in front of him. “Kakashi.”

His pen stopped as his eyes finally looked up. “Lord Hokage,” he corrected. He finally leaned back in his chair, tapping the pen against the desk. “Or Lord Sixth, or I'll even accept Lord Kakashi. Take your pick.”

I pursed my lips in a thin line. He was messing with me. He acted as if I've never heard him tell people to not call him those titles before. I knew I had to tread carefully here. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from screaming. Then, I took a deep breath and tried to smile. “Kakashi,” I said, my voice dripping in honey.

His eyes narrowed.

“I am here to file a formal complaint.” I walked up closer to his desk, clasping my hands in front of me.

“About ...?”

“About you,” I said, my voice falling flat. “I keep getting these lame missions. I’m sure there’s something you can do about—"

Kakashi held up his hand. “Any mission is just as important as the next one. They are not lame.”

My patience was running thin and I crossed my arms, huffing. “But I’m capable of handling more than C- or D-rank missions!” I said, my tone turning more desperate than I wanted it to.

Kakashi was quiet and looked me over. I was stubborn and stood my ground. “Your missions are non-negotiable.”

My eyes widened and I had to stop myself from stomping my foot like a child throwing a tantrum. I took another deep breath and gritted my teeth. “With all due respect, _Lord Sixth_ , I feel like my skills are being under utilized.”

“And I disagree with that notion,” he simply said, leaning back over his desk. He started to write again, like the conversation was dismissed.

I faltered and uncrossed my arms. That can’t be all. “But I—"

Kakashi’s voice dipped into a dangerous category—firm and commanding. “That’s the end of the discussion. I have work to do.”

I felt angry tears prick my eyes as he continued to scrawl in his documents. I huffed and turned on my heel, biting my knuckles to keep from crying here and now. I opened the door and Shikamaru was leaning against the wall.

He didn’t dare say anything as I closed the door behind me and walked away.

That wasn’t the end of it.

Another few months would go by and I was getting tired of it. He was treating me like a child. We would argue back and forth when he finally cried out that the other missions were too dangerous for me. I told him I was more than capable and he knew it. But it never budged him.

It wasn’t until I put in a form to resign from being a shinobi that Shikamaru came and visited me. I was laying on the grass, reading a book. I wasn’t really reading as much as trying to look busy.

“You’re retiring?” His lazy voice carried across to me and I looked up to see him looking down at me, his hands in his pockets.

I scoffed. “Sure am. I cannot bear to be under the ruling thumb of _Lord Sixth_ anymore.” I said the last part with thick sarcasm.

“He’s just worried about you, you know.” Shikamaru finally sat himself down next to me, leaning back on his hands.

“Yeah, right,” I said. I snapped my book shut. “Do you know how frustrating it would be to only get lower rank missions as a _Jonin_ , Shikamaru? It’s fucking embarrassing and makes everyone think I’m not good enough!”

A sigh escaped his lips and I tried my best to keep my tears at bay. “He doesn’t see it that way.”

“I don’t care. He’s not even thinking about how I feel,” I said, my lips quivering. I put my arm over my face, wanting to hide.

“You’re right. He’s being selfish. He’s doing what he thinks is protecting you.”

“It’s not fair. He’s the one that ended things, so what. Is this his way of punishing me?”

“No.” Shikamaru sat up and patted my arm so I would take it off my face.

I did and blinked up at him through my tears. His face softened.

“He’s afraid of losing you.”

I let out another scoff, this one weaker though and looked away. “He already did when he ended things years ago.”

Shikamaru sighed. “This is such a big drag.”

“No shit."

We sat there in silence and then I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were closed. “So is he going to sign it?”

His eyes didn’t open when he replied. “I haven’t even given him the form yet. He will not be pleased.”

I let out a snort. “I’m not pleased with my missions.”

Shikamaru finally looked at me, his eyes dimming. “If you retire, he won’t be able to keep an eye on you anymore. He won’t be happy about that.”

“Who cares,” I said. I scowled up at the sky. “I miss being on real missions.”

Shikamaru carefully debated something and then let out another sigh. “I’m so going to be fired over this ...” I looked at him curiously. “So, look. If you’re going to retire then let me help you leave with a bang.” I rose an eyebrow. “Kakashi-sensei put me in charge of an S-rank mission where he said I could pick whichever shinobi I deem appropriate.” My heart picked up speed. “Since it’s already pre-approved, he won’t know if you go on it until after you come back.”

A slow smile spread through my face. “Shika!” I squealed, hopping up and throwing my arms around his neck. We toppled over and he landed on his back. He groaned.

“It’s going to be such a drag being yelled at after you come back.”

I let go and looked down at him. I grinned. “I’ll make it worthwhile. I’ll treat you and Temari to the fanciest restaurant, offer you a vacation to the hot springs with her or whatever you want! Think of it as a late wedding present.”

Shikamaru’s lips tugged upwards at the corners. “The things I do for you, big sis.”

I giggled.

A few days later, when preparations were done, we were ready to go on our mission. I jumped in my shoes as I walked towards the gate early in the morning. I saw Naruto, Sakura, Rock Lee, Chouji, and Tenten waiting by the gate. My face lit up as I saw them wave at me. “Big sis!” Naruto said, grinning widely.

I practically rushed to the gate, eager to leave before we had any interruptions. I hoisted my backpack and looked at them. “Are you guys ready?”

“Hell yeah! It’s been so long since we were on a mission together!” Naruto said, laughing.

“I know!” I said, grinning. I didn’t have the heart to tell him this would be the last one.

“I can’t believe Kakashi-sensei didn’t tell me!” he said, furrowing his eyebrows. “Actually, he seemed a little confused when I mentioned it last night.”

My smile faltered. “What?”

Sakura’s eyebrows flew up as she looked at something past my shoulder. The rest of the group straightened up. Naruto was the only one who still seemed relaxed.

“Oh! Lord Hokage, I didn’t realize you would be seeing us off,” Sakura said.

I closed my eyes in defeat, feeling myself deflate.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

I could almost kill Naruto and his big mouth.

I felt him come up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Actually, there’s been a change of plans. Sai will be assisting you with this mission instead. It’s a last minute readjustment.”

I pursed my lips together and an uncomfortable silence fell upon us. I was so close to losing it.

“But—" Naruto started.

“That’s final, Naruto,” Kakashi warned.

Naruto looked between me and Kakashi and scratched his head. “Uh, okay. Where is he?”

“Here.” Sai appeared behind him, backpack in hand.

“Oh, okay,” murmured Naruto. He put that easy smile back on his face. “Maybe next time then, big sis.”

There won’t be a next time, I thought. I tried to smile but I felt the tears coming.

As Kakashi bid them good luck and farewell, I shrugged off his hand.

He said my name in an even voice.

I turned and started to walk away. I didn’t even look at him. “Did you fire him?” I asked as I felt him follow me.

“No, he’s lucky I need him around.” He didn’t bother hiding the anger in his voice.

“Okay. Then I’ll be going home. I’m sure you have things to do,” I said bitterly. I just wanted to go home and cry.

Since it was so early in the morning, there were barely people in the streets. The few that were would stop and bow respectfully to Kakashi. As we neared my house, I told him I was fine. He said we needed to talk. I fumed even more. I stomped all the way to my door and unlocked it. I let him in and he let out a sigh. I slammed the door shut and I was glad I was able to speak to him how I wished in my house. I didn’t care if he was Hokage or not. I didn’t fucking care!

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I said, glaring at him. I dropped my backpack and it landed with a thud by my feet. I felt the angry tears come back. “I could’ve handled that mission! Why did you do that?”

Kakashi turned to me, his hands in his pockets and his eyes cool. Sometimes it would throw me off how he no longer had the Sharingan. “Because I didn’t approve it.”

“But Shikamaru said you told him he could pick any shinobi he deemed—"

Kakashi interrupted me. “Yes, but not you. He knows that.” His voice was cold and stung. “You’re not allowed on those kind of missions.”

I didn’t try to hide the angry tears anymore and I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. “Why not?! I’m a Jonin!” I put a hand on my chest, trying to make him see. “I am built for this kind of thing!”

Kakashi didn’t raise his voice or lowered it. His tone remained even. “I understand your frustrations, but as Hokage, you’re going to have to obey my orders.”

I gritted my teeth at him. He was really going to play that card? “That’s not fair!” I took a step closer and I could see under his mask that his lips formed a thin line, his jaw clenching. “Tsunade is the one who promoted me to Jonin! She had faith in me and I excelled! At least _she_ knew how to better utilize her shinobi as Hokage!”

Kakashi barked my name, his hands slipping out of his pockets. I flinched, my eyes dropping to the floor. I had overstepped. I clenched my own jaw, my hands curling into fists.

He took a deep breath and I saw him pinch the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. “I’m not changing my mind. As I said, your missions are non-negotiable. If something like what happened today repeats itself, I will personally make sure you never see a higher rank mission while I’m in office.” He put his hand down, his cool eyes watching me. Almost challenging me to say something back.

I crossed my arms, scowling down at the floor. It didn’t even matter. His threats were nothing as I was resigning.

“Fine, _Lord Sixth,_ ” I said between gritted teeth.

It seemed like some of the tension left his shoulders and his eyes softened a bit. I kept my arms around myself, just wanting him to get the fuck out.

“Okay. Good.” Kakashi went towards the door and opened it. I didn’t even glance at him, but I saw him out of the corner of my eye. He looked back at me and looked like he wanted to say something. But he must’ve thought better of it, because he turned and closed the door gently behind him.

My lip quivered and I knew it was over. I buried my face in my hands, lamenting at the fact that I really was going through with retiring at the age of 25.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble is brewing for OC. But if the trouble is sexy, is it that bad?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry. Our favorite Hokage is back in the next chapter!

I ended up opening my own tea shop.

I looked into some investors. I asked Shikamaru for help. Temari told her brother, Gaara, about it and he wanted to invest. I narrowed my eyes at her when I heard that since he was the Kazekage and why would he want to invest in something so far away?

She pursed her lips together and shook her head. “I’m not the one who convinced him.” I gave her a dubious look.

I decided on the name the Jasmine Dragon. Overtime, it had become quite popular. This was thanks to Naruto who frequented visiting me. If the hero of the village was there then it must be good!

I always gave him my thanks whenever I saw him. He would get tea on the house, which he accepted once in a while. Hinata frequented often as she loved tea.

Overall, being a civilian wasn’t all that bad. However, that pang of jealousy never left whenever I saw shinobi come in or leave the village for missions.

Captain Yamato would frequently come in and I never confirmed it, but I had a high suspicion he would be ordered to come see me to report back to the Hokage. Shikamaru once confessed while drunk that Kakashi thought I would flee the village out of spite when I retired.

I laughed at that, almost wanted to do it now that I knew he was afraid of that. But instead I opened a tea shop, a drink we always bonded over, to show that I was rooted here in the Leaf and that I wasn’t going anywhere.

But everything changed when he walked into the shop.

We were in a time of peace, so I was used to seeing all kinds of visitors from all the lands. But my breath caught in my throat when his eyes lingered on mine.

Trouble had finally found me again.

♦♦♦

Two months went by before I saw him again.

I had heard from Sakura that he was in the village again. Over lunch break, I had found myself going back home, doing my hair differently and putting on perfume. I even managed a little bit of makeup, applying lip gloss on.

I hesitated when I left the house, wondering what am I doing, but didn’t want to think too deep about it.

When we re-opened after lunch, I waited patiently at the counter. Lee had come in with Guy and I served them. Their enthusiasm was always hard to keep up with, but today, I seemed to be just as enthusiastic. They commented on my hair and I said my thanks. Just then, the shop’s door opened and the bell chimed.

I looked up and my heart leapt in my chest. There he was again. Tall, handsome, rugged. I noted that they looked a little roughed up—probably coming in after a mission.

I smoothed down my apron—a nervous habit of mine—and my employee, Hana, gave me a look.

“Hi, boys!” I said, hoping my nervousness didn’t shine through my voice. “What can I do you for?”

His long dark hair framed his face, his dark curls falling over his forehead, and his ninja band attached to his arm. His smile though shone through. His jaw was so well defined and it’s been so long since I let myself fantasize about another’s lips on my own. I wanted to drag down my finger along that jaw of his and down further.

Two other men followed him in and I knew they were on a team together.

“Hi there. We were wanting some cup of teas.” His accent was thick, woven around the words with perfect articulation. I swooned at it and came closer to the bar as his men sat down.

I jotted down their orders and nodded, glancing up at the handsome man every now and then. Then we got started on it.

I felt myself feel self-conscious as I felt eyes on the back of me. Hana helped with the two other men’s teas when I focused on his.

I wanted it to be perfect. I asked if he wanted any kind of treat with it, and he asked what I would recommend. With a flush on my face, I went over to the display. I offered some small cakes or cookies. His crooked grin made me blush even more when he asked what was _my_ favorite.

I told him and he said that’s what he wanted. I didn’t notice until I was setting the cake on the tiny plate that Lee and Guy were watching me carefully. I ignored them as I went over and set the plate in front of him with a tiny fork. His two teammates thanked for their tea and got up to settle over to a booth in a corner.

He didn’t move, his dark eyes on me. I felt my heart flutter as he carefully lifted the fork with a small bit of cake on it. I realized I had held my breath as he took a bite. Not only did I brew all the tea homemade but baked and made all the snacks.

He put it in his mouth and I watched with anticipation. The way his mouth moved and swallowed. The lick of his lips, and I found myself leaning in.

The lust heightened as I saw his smile again. With a tilt of his head, he looked at me. “It’s delicious.”

Pink flourished my cheeks as I smiled happily. “I’m so happy!” I said with a clasp of my hands, leaning on my elbows as I looked up at him. “I bake these myself.”

He quirked an eyebrow and then smiled again, his features making heat roll over my body. “Well I’m glad I’m able to give my compliments to the chef.”

I let out a small giggle, nervous at his stare. Before I could help myself, I spoke without thinking. “Then you should come back more so I can recommend my other favorites.”

He looked me over, a playful smile on his lips. He grabbed his cup of tea and lifted it to his lips. He took a sip. “Whenever I get the chance, I’ll be sure to make this my one special spot to stop by. As long as you’re here serving me.”

For some reason, I felt shivers run down my spine. Serve him. I would serve him in any way I could possibly think of. Nodding, I told him, “I will. I own this shop.”

“And the surprises keep rolling in,” he said, a small chuckle escaping his throat. His voice was deep and rough and seductive.

“Oh?” I rose an eyebrow at him. “Didn’t think I would be more than a server here?”

He shook his head, grinning. “No, it’s not that. I figured you are more than you seem.”

I clicked my tongue. “Used to be a shinobi too. Best at combat.”

“Oh yeah?” His tone was teasing now, leaning in towards me. “The best?”

“Sure was,” I said, looking up at him.

“I would love to see what made you the best.” A smirk on his lips.

“Is that a challenge?” I smirked back, my hands folding under my chin.

“Maybe,” he said. “Should we make it interesting?” I gave him a look to continue. He ran his hand across the counter between us. “Hmm. Let’s spar. If you win, you can choose whatever you want. You name it, I will honor it.” Boy, will he regret that.

“And if you win?” I said, my eyelids lowering in a teasing manner.

He looked straight in my eyes, a confident smile on his face. “Then you let me take you out on a date.”

My heart soared and I felt myself biting back my grin.

“Are you familiar with where the training grounds are here?” I asked, noting he isn’t from this village.

He nodded. “My friend lives here. I am familiar with the one on the west of the village.”

“Then tomorrow at 7 am?”

He put out his hand and I took it in mine as we shook on it. “I look forward to it, Miss ...?”

I realized he was asking for my name. I gave it to him and his smile broke through once again.

“I hope you’re ready to lose, Mister ...?”

“Mamoru.” His voice was thick with that accent again, giving his name proudly. It made my toes curl in my shoes.

“Mamoru,” I repeated, trying it out on my tongue.

He seemed pleased as he looked at me. His hand lingered on mine and then he took it back. He downed the rest of his tea quickly and stood up. He set down his money on the counter.

“Keep the change.”

I smiled as he picked up the rest of the cake and he walked over to his teammates who rose eyebrows at him. They left and I watched him leave, chin in palm, sighing wistfully.

“Wowee,” I heard Hana breathe behind me.

“Wow indeed!” I heard Lee say.

I blinked, suddenly snapping out of it. I looked at Lee and Guy in front of me as if I didn’t know they were there the whole time. I mean, it was unusual for them to be quiet.

“You can cut the sexual tension with a knife!” Hana said, bumping her shoulder with mine. Her eyebrows wiggled at me. “That Mamoru guy sure is handsome.”

I blushed deeply, suddenly realizing my friends were staring at me. Lee with a curious look and Guy with a disapproving frown.

“I-I guess,” I said.

Guy narrowed his eyes and grumbled, “Doesn’t seem anything special.”

Lee elbowed his sensei in the ribs and Guy let out a yelp. He glared at his student. “Guy-sensei! We should be happy that our friend has found a new rival!”

Guy huffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

The rest of the day went uneventful, and I was thinking of tomorrow. I hurriedly closed the shop and went home, feeling lighter than I have in years. The next morning, I put on my training clothes. It’s been a while since I have. Since the tea shop has gotten busier, I haven’t had much time for training. However, that didn’t mean I was out of practice. I was confident for today.

I found my leaf headband in my drawer and picked it up. My thumbs ran over the engraved leaf symbol. I missed it so much, sometimes I thought about re-enlisting, but when I remembered who was in charge, I let the idea go like sand falling through my fingers.

I put on my boots and checked I had all my tools in my back pouch. I threw a small backpack over my shoulder with two bottled waters and a first aid kit.

I rushed out the door, pulling my hair up in a messy ponytail. I felt tingles dance around my fingers and toes. I was excited.

When I arrived at the agreed place, I saw him leaning against a tree, his arms crossed over his chest. He had an ankle crossed over the other and he was looking up at the sky, his dark curls moving a bit because of the morning wind. My heart sped up and I rushed to him.

When he saw me, his beautiful smile broke through. He looked better today. Clean, his hair less messy and his clothes pressed neatly. His shirt wrapped around his biceps gracefully. He was a big man, towering over me at least by a foot or two. I thought if he embraced me, I would be engulfed by him and that thought alone made me excited.

“Hey,” he said, pushing himself off the tree.

“Hey yourself,” I said, smirking. I dropped my backpack on the grass at the base of the tree. “Ready to get your ass kicked today?”

He bent his head back and let out a genuine laugh. He grinned down at me. “Not planning to lose today.”

“Oh?”

“I already have ideas on where to take you on our first date,” he said, walking around me. I spun with him as I stayed in one place. I watched him.

I let out a small laugh. “Okay. So how do we do this? Just hand to hand combat? Or want to use weapons?”

“Taijutsu is fine,” he said. “No other jutsu.”

I rose an eyebrow.

“At least not for this round.” He stood in a stance.

I went over and bent my knees, getting ready. I smiled sweetly. “Now, don’t go easy on me. You’ll lose.” I winked.

He looked me over and then shook his head. “Oh, I’m not planning to.”

“Okay, start!” I declared, already running to him.

I was small but fast. He blinked as I disappeared behind him. I crouched down, sweeping a leg across and connecting to his. He would’ve fell if he hadn’t back flipped and looked at me. I grinned at him.

He had already underestimated me. We went at each other again and I jumped, landing my hands on his shoulders and doing a backflip off him. I roundhouse kicked him and he turned to grab my ankle. I used this opportunity to swing over and kicked him in his stomach. He let go and I fell on my back.

I was back up and he made a grab for me, but I flew under his legs. When I giggled, I saw that he turned serious. “Catch me if you can!”

We were really going against each other now. Hit after hit, dodge after dodge, very close calls. I felt sweat bead down my forehead and tightened my ponytail. When I flipped him over and landed on top of him, I smirked. He blinked in surprise and I laughed.

“Wasn’t ready for that, were you?” I leaned over his chest, getting close, teasing him.

“No,” he admitted, but a smile played upon his lips. “Although I can’t complain about the view.” He brought his hands up to my waist.

I blushed all the way up to the roots of my hair. He chuckled as he saw me flustered. “I like that look on you. It’s cute,” he said, staring intently as he smiled.

I jumped off him at once and felt my cheeks flame. He sat up, running a hand through his hair. “Don’t be shy.”

“I’m not shy!” I said, crossing my arms, glaring at him.

“Is that supposed to be your angry face? Because it just makes you look adorable,” he said, the teasing tone coming back.

I scowled and rushed up to him. He grabbed my hips and flipped me over to the ground. I blinked up at him as he straddled over me. He smirked as I realized I fell into his trap.

“Okay, beautiful, since you won, what is it that you want?” His voice became low and so seductive. I wanted to reach up and grab the back of his head to press him down to my lips.

I let myself become relaxed and my face flushed a healthy pink. I was just about to open my mouth when we heard a noise. He was off me in an instant, and I sat up, feeling my head spin.

Someone called my name. I looked up to see Naruto and Yamato together. I furrowed my eyebrows.

Mamoru lifted himself off the ground and offered me his hand. I graciously accepted and he lifted me up easily. I wondered how much easier it would be for him to lift me in his arms while we ...

“Big sis?”

I snapped out of my fantasies as I looked up at Naruto. He looked quizzically between me and Mamoru. “Naruto! Yamato! What a surprise!” I said, my voice straining a bit. “Mamoru, these are my friends. Naruto and Yamato.” I gestured at them respectively. “Naruto and Yamato, this is Mamoru.”

His eyes lit up and he put out a hand. “Nice to meet you both! Although, there’s no need for introductions with Naruto. You’re a hero everywhere.”

Naruto smiled easily, taking in the compliment. He shook his hand and then put a hand on the back of his own head. “Nah! I didn’t do it alone!” He giggled, that same goofy grin on his face. I smiled affectionately.

Yamato took his hand and shook it, giving a respectful nod. I avoided eye contact with him.

“What’re you two doing out here?” Naruto asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Sparring. I won,” I said, grinning with pride as I looked up at Mamoru.

He chuckled, looking back down at me. “Eh, she got lucky this time.”

“Ha! You wish,” I said, rolling my eyes. I looked at Naruto. “What about you two?”

“Just some individual training with Captain Yamato here.” Naruto bumped Yamato’s shoulder with his own. “Hope he can handle the heat.”

Yamato looked at him curiously and shrugged. “I’ve dealt with worse probably.”

“Well, good luck on your training,” I said, smiling widely. I looked up at Mamoru. “Ready to leave?”

He smiled easily. “Sure.” I went to retrieve my bag and said my goodbyes to Naruto and Yamato.

“See you soon, big sis! Don’t be a stranger!” Naruto called after me.

I waved back at him, smiling widely.

Mamoru didn’t say anything until we were a bit further from the training grounds. “So, close to Naruto?”

I shrugged. “I was one of the only nice people to him considering he’s a jinchūriki.”

Mamoru nodded and ran his hand through his dark curls again. I wished I could do the same thing. I pulled my backpack around and searched in for the waters I packed up. I offered one to him and he nodded his thanks. I drank out of mine.

“But things are good now.” I smiled up at the sky. “Everyone’s nice to him now and it makes me so happy.”

“I really am grateful to him for bringing peace among our lands,” he said. “If it wasn’t for him ending the war and uniting us, I never would’ve been able to travel as easily through the Leaf. Also, it led me to meeting you.”

He bumped his shoulder against mine playfully and I blushed, smiling up at him. “Yeah, that’s true. So have you eaten?”

He shook his head once. “Nah. Not yet. You hungry?”

“Starving,” I said as my eyes slid down his entire form.

He chuckled as if knowing what I meant and then asked for a recommendation to where I wanted to eat.

So I took him to Ichiraku Ramen. It has expanded a bit since after the war. They rebuilt it as an actual restaurant and we walked through the doors. We sat in a booth and just talked.

He told me his close friend lived here now with her boyfriend. That’s why he comes through so often in the Leaf. I learned that he loves sweets, he loves the color blue, and he heard my tea shop was the best in the village so that’s why they stopped by. He said they didn't really have a lot of good tea shops in the Hidden Cloud.

I don’t know how long we spent there even after finishing our bowls. I laughed at his jokes and he poked fun at me whenever I got flustered and annoyed. We agreed to meet again the next time he strolled through.

He walked me back home and it felt so easy. There was no tension, no arguments, nothing of the sort. Just like a zip line, one straight way, fast and easy. Unlike with Kakashi where I felt like I was rocking in a boat during a wild thunderstorm.

Next time, he promised, we would spar with our jutsu. “That better be a promise,” I said. “Because I still haven’t declared what I wanted.”

Mamoru smirked. “Let me know what you decided the next time we meet.”

I giggled and nodded. We said our goodbyes and I went inside, leaning back against the door, biting back a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone peep the name of the tea shop? (; I wanted to pay homage to my favorite Uncle Iroh.
> 
> I also am not very good at writing action, although I tried, so sorry if it was a bit awkward! This chapter made me nervous as I am introducing another OC, but it's important to the story. I have the whole story planned out. I hope you enjoyed and please leave constructive criticism if you have any! Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenten visits and the Hokage proposes a deal.

**~1 month later**

The bell chimed to indicate someone new came in. I looked up to see one of my favorite people in the world, two buns perfectly sitting on top her head. There was a slight air to her jumps as she came up to the counter.

“Tenten!” I said, grinning. “It’s been so long!”

She rapidly tapped her knuckles on the counter in front of her, squealing, and jumping on her toes. “Yes! You’re not going to be the only shop owner in our friend group anymore!”

Hana came out from the back and did a double take. I looked back at her to introduce her when her face became super flushed and she turned right back around to go back into the back of the shop again. I furrowed my eyebrows. Okay ...?

I turned back to Tenten and she didn’t seem to notice, just turning her head to look at the cakes and snacks on display.

“Congrats, Ten! Does this mean you’re going to open a shop?”

Tenten turned her attention back to me and nearly jumped again, clasping her hands together. “Yes! It’s in the works right now! I think I finally found a place and I am going to the realtor’s office later to see if they took my final offer. But I have a really good feeling about it! Hey, can I have one of those strawberry cakes?” She sat down on one of the stools and folded her arms in front of her.

“Of course,” I said, moving to get her a plate and placed a strawberry cake on there. I also placed a small chocolate dessert next to it as a freebie. I slid it over to her with a tiny fork. She grinned.

“You’re the best, babe.” She picked up a piece and took a bite, closing her eyes. I giggled.

When another customer came in, I tended to them, making them tea. I glanced back briefly to the swinging door to the back of the shop. I wondered if Hana was okay.

As Tenten and I caught up, I realized how much I missed her. We used to go on missions more often than not with Lee. She was the one I was closest to besides Sakura. I told her all about the recent events, including Mamoru. There wasn’t much to catch her up on my side. Then the door chimed again and I looked up to see Mamoru come in. Speak of the devil. He was alone this time.

Tenten had just gotten her cup of tea when he came up. “Mamoru!” I said, my face flushing. “Welcome!”

He grinned at me. “Hey, there, beautiful.”

Tenten whipped her head at the nickname and then looked at me. She put her hand up to her face, blocking it from him. She pointed towards him and mouthed, “That’s him?!”

I bit my lip and nodded at her before turning back to Mamoru. He was sitting one seat away from Tenten so he didn’t seem to notice. Tenten set her hand down and looked him over. A slow smile crept on her face.

Oh, no.

I asked him what he wanted and I got started on it, wondering where the hell is Hana. She was lucky that it wasn’t busy today. That’s when I heard shuffling behind me.

“Hey, there, handsome!”

I flinched as I turned to see Tenten had moved next to Mamoru, her palm holding up the side of her head as she looked up at him. She crossed her legs and tapped her fingers against the wooden counter.

He glanced down at her, not even fazed. I guess as a shinobi, he had to be prepared for whatever is thrown his way. “Hello,” he said, not unfriendly but not welcoming either.

As I finished making his tea, I turned around, giving her a glare. She winked at me. “Got a name, handsome?”

He looked at her, now a curious look taking over his features. “Do you?” he asked.

I walked over carefully with his cup. “Tenten. Nice to meet you.”

“Mamoru,” he said, and then his eyes flickered back to mine. “Thank you, beautiful.”

I blushed at the nickname and Tenten let out a laugh. “Gee, Mamoru, you really know how to make a woman feel wanted.”

“Oh, hush, Tenten. Leave him alone,” I said, swatting at her with my rag. I turned back to Mamoru and he rose an eyebrow at me. “Ignore her.”

“Uh, or not,” she said, sitting up straight. “How rude.” She gave me a wounded look.

I rolled my eyes. Mamoru chuckled. “I could never ignore one of the legendary kunoichi from the war.”

Her eyes widened slightly and she looked up at him.

He shrugged. “I’ve heard about you, Tenten. You wielded one of the treasured tools of the Sage of Six Paths. The banana palm fan, right? Not everyone can do so.” He took a sip and left her with flushed cheeks at his compliments.

A slow smile spread through her face and she looked at me. Tenten touched her chest briefly with her fingertips. “ _I’m_ legendary?!”

Mamoru laughed. “Of course! You are famous in the Hidden Cloud Village! You along with Darui. It’s no small feat to be able to wield those weapons. You have to be extraordinarily skilled.”

She clapped her hands excitedly. “Did you hear that?” She grinned at me, wiggling her eyebrows. “I am extraordinarily skilled!”

Mamoru chuckled. “How was it? Wielding the fan?”

Tenten’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, fantastic! I mean, it took a lot of chakra and I wished the Hidden Cloud hadn’t taken it back after the war. But wielding it was ... something else.” She looked off in space, sighing wistfully.

He was listening intently now, almost leaning in. “How exactly did you do it?”

She came out of her thoughts and blinked up at him. “Oh! Yeah, it was a little hard, but you just gotta—”

The bell rung again and I looked at the front door. Lee had half of his body in the door, leaning in. “Tenten! There you are! Did you forget about me?”

Tenten rolled her eyes and swiveled in her stool. “No, Lee! I was catching up with my dear friend here!”

I looked at Lee. He grinned. “Oh, how wonderful! Are you done now?” He turned his attention back to Tenten.

She groaned so only Mamoru and me could hear her. Then she hopped off her bar stool and reached in her pocket. She put money on the counter. “I am now, Lee. I’m going, I’m going.”

“Come on, Tenten! Let us race to the training grounds!” Lee had already exited and we could see him through the large window walking on his hands. Mamoru turned to give me a look. I shrugged.

“He’s so childish,” she said, sighing and shaking her head. She planted her hands on her hips. She gave me a sad smile. “It’s times like this that I wished Neji was still here.”

I returned her smile, knowing how much she missed him.

She then turned back to Mamoru and pointed at him. She grinned. “To be continued, new friend!”

His face brightened. “I look forward to it.”

She waved goodbye and she was out the door. Then, “Is she gone?”

I turned around to see Hana’s head peeking out of the swinging door. I put my hands on my hips, glaring at her. “Explain. _Now_.”

Hana came out with her head bowed. “Sorry, Miss. It’s just ...” Her eyes flickered nervously to Mamoru who was taking a sip. “I can explain later.”

“Fine,” I said, sighing. I motioned for her to clean up the counter.

Mamoru and I made plans to meet after closing time. He reminded me about what I wanted and I had honestly haven’t thought much about it. I was thinking if I wanted to tease him or get something real out of him when Hana let out the loudest sigh ever.

I glanced up at her as I was making tea. “All right. Spill it.”

I gave the tea to the customer and they retreated to a booth in the corner. I turned and faced Hana, who wrung a rag in her hands. “Okay, so ... I might’ve almost went on a date with Tenten and totally stood her up.”

My eyes widened. “That was _you_?” I remembered briefly how Tenten huffed about someone standing her up on a date a few months ago. I laughed, holding onto my belly. “You are so dead.”

Hana’s face flushed and looked away. “Well, I mean ...! I chickened out!” She buried her face in her hands. “It was a blind date! I knew who she was and thought she was out of my league! I was terrified and just went home without meeting her.”

“Wait, you mean she’s actually never seen your face?”

Hana shook her head.

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Then why did you hide?”

“Because I knew you would introduce me and say my name!” Hana crosses her arms, scoffing as if it was obvious.

I looked at her. “Hana, your name isn’t unique.”

“Well, whatever!” she said, and then leaned back on the counter with her hands, looking up at the ceiling. “She’s so gorgeous.” She was swooning.

I giggled. “And still single.”

“You mean she’s not dating that Rock Lee guy?”

I rolled my eyes, waving my hand dismissively. “Rock Lee is too naive to take a hint. He’ll never ask her out and she assumes he doesn’t feel that way about her so she’ll never make a move.” I shrugged. “You still have a chance.”

♦♦♦

It was a Wednesday morning when it happened. It wasn’t that busy, but Hana was running around, trying to get everything prepared.

We had run out of the small chocolate cakes that have become popular after people saw Naruto chowing down on a few the other day. I told Hana I would be right back and she nodded, wiping down tables.

I ran to the back, opening up my oven and checking to see that they were indeed done. I took them out and put them in the fridge to chill. I brought out another tray of the chocolate cakes, already iced and ready to go. As I prepared them neatly, I noticed that the noise in the main shop had hushed down. I heard the door open, chiming with the bell. Then open again shortly after.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I wondered if something happened. Wiping my hands down my apron, smoothing it down, I took the tray and walked briskly to the main shop.

“Hana, is everything ...”

I noticed that the shop was now empty. Even Hana wasn’t there. There was a figure sitting at one of the stools at the bar, his cool eyes on me.

“... okay,” I finally finished, my voice dropping off at the end of the word.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

I set the cakes down on the bar counter and he looked down at them, admiring the work. “You’ve always had a talent for details.”

I looked at the front of the shop, noticing the ANBU guarding the doors. I furrowed my eyebrows and turned to him, crossing my arms. “You better have come by to do something nice for me, Lord Sixth,” I said stiffly. “Since you commandeered my shop and scared away my customers.”

Kakashi’s eyes crinkled up as he smiled, and I could see the outline of it behind his mask. “It’s more like what _you_ can do for _me_.” He leaned on both of his elbows on the counter, resting his chin on his clasped hands.

“And you couldn’t have just summoned me for this discussion?” I asked flatly.

Kakashi sighed. “I didn’t think you would come. Shikamaru said you have been avoiding him and I didn’t want to send an ANBU for you because I know you don’t like them.” I grimaced. He was right.

I looked up at the ceiling briefly before speaking. Reluctantly, I said, “If the Hokage himself summoned me, I would have no choice but to oblige.”

Kakashi looked at me and then nodded. “True. But I suppose you would feel more comfortable if I came onto your territory.”

I glanced at him and then took a step back to lean on the counter behind me. “What is it that you want from me?” I said, wanting to get to the point of it.

“I heard a certain shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village has become quite smitten with you,” he said, carefully, and watching my reaction. His eyes creased up a little as if he was putting on a teasing smile.

I tried to keep my breathing even and my face relaxed from any emotions. A shinobi is supposed to be able to handle anything thrown their way.

But I suppose I’m not a shinobi anymore, am I?

I kept my arms crossed. “Okay, and?” I said, my voice even.

“I’d like you to rejoin the Leaf shinobi,” he said, pulling out a folder from his lap. “Shikamaru can give you more details if you’d like.”

I gave him a dubious look. “What does me becoming a shinobi again and Mamo have to do with each other?”

He was good at hiding things but not from me. His shoulders tensed a bit at the nickname I had for Mamoru.

His eyes slid up slowly to meet mine. “I want you to spy on him for us.”

I couldn’t hide my anger this time. I didn’t care if he was the Hokage or not.

“Get the fuck out of my shop,” I said, my voice turning dangerous. My fingers dug into my own arms, my arms still crossed.

Kakashi sighed. He said my name.

I shook my head once, firm. “ _No_.”

“Just hear me out,” he said. “This would be an A-rank mission.”

I froze, looking at him. My fingers twitched and I bit my tongue, looking away. “Is he bad or something?” I couldn’t even think of the possibility but why else would they want to spy on him? We had been casually seeing each other for over a month and half now. Why come to me now?

Kakashi pushed the folder towards me. “Read the file.” He stood up and took one of the cakes off the tray, smiling. “I’ll need an answer by the end of the week.” He reached in his pocket and set down money on the counter.

I took a step forward, seeing the folder there, taunting me. I took it and let out a shaky breath. Kakashi turned away from me and put a hand up, waving his goodbye. “Thanks for the treat.”

I laughed in disbelief as I saw him exit the shop. “You don’t even like sweets,” I murmured as I saw him take a small bite.

♦♦♦

That night, I sat down in my kitchen, putting the file on the table. I was nervous, my hand slightly shaking as I reached to open it. I turned to the first page. A picture of him clipped with his information.

My eyes poured over the information given. His full name, where he was born, what his job was, what accomplishments he had achieved. He fought in the war too, and survived. Highly praised for his leadership and a small number of casualties under his care. He was five years older than me.

My eyes scanned down to see anything important. I stopped at the information on his family. My finger brushed over it, willing it to change. Is this why he’s a person of interest?

I pursed my lips and continued onto the next page. I felt like I was reading about his most intimate moments. His whole life was in these pages. How did they get this information? His girlfriend was killed in action during the war. His parents slaughtered by Orochimaru and Kabuto way before the war started.

I read on, working up to the most crucial details. One of the treasured tools of the Sage of Six Paths has been stolen out of the Hidden Cloud Village. The Raikage didn’t trust Mamoru anymore and suspected him. So that concluded his own uncle asking for Kakashi’s help on this, which explains why we have this information. My heart dropped when I saw it was the fan that went missing. I briefly recalled when he asked Tenten about it, but shook my head. It could just be a coincidence.

With a shaky breath, I turned to the last page. My name was on there. I stopped and saw the written paragraph on myself.

 _Former Leaf Shinobi, owns a tea shop by the name of the Jasmine Dragon, which Mamoru frequents at. Has started to see her, teammates have confirmed his feelings for her. Have consummated their relationship_.

My cheeks flamed and I cursed whoever wrote this for being so thorough. I felt more embarrassed knowing not only had all the upper shinobi have seen this but Kakashi too.

And that was it except for the possible plans to put in motion at the end. The number one is me becoming a shinobi again and getting information.

I swallowed and put my head in my hands, my elbows on the table. Tears stung as I realized I was so conflicted.

This is what I have dreamed of. Being back with the Leaf shinobi, getting A- and B-rank missions again, having the freedom to do what I want.

But it was Mamo. Loving and understanding Mamo. Who had my heart in his hands now and he was so gentle. Even as I read the words on paper, I couldn’t possibly comprehend that this Mamoru was the same as _my_ Mamo. The Raikage can’t even reach him and can’t trust his own shinobi as Mamoru has everyone wrapped around his finger.

He was one of the people to lead them to victory in one of the most insane situations during the war. He saved many of his own people.

I looked over the possible plans again. There was a last resort of torture.

I couldn’t let that happen. And I was going to get to the bottom of this. I had to find out the truth for myself if the man I was slowly falling for was what he was on paper and planning to do something evil to his village or the Raikage, or if he’s changed and I actually have a shot at happiness. Maybe he’s being wrongfully accused.

I closed the file and left it there. I could barely sleep. But at 7 am on the dot, I got ready. I put the file in my backpack and put my hair up in buns. I walked out thirty minutes later and went up to the Hokage Tower. Before I lost my confidence, I walked up the stairs and entered the building. I walked down the long corridor to his office.

I took a deep breath before I knocked softly.

“Come in,” he said, his voice carrying even through the door.

I opened the door and peeked inside. Shikamaru was nowhere to be found. Kakashi waved me inside and I felt my heart pound in my chest. I had no idea if I was making the right decision, but when I felt like chickening out, I remembered they might physically and mentally torture him. I couldn’t let that happen. Ibiki had no mercy.

I slipped in, closing the door behind me. I took off my bag off of one shoulder and swung it around. I reached in for the file and placed it on his desk. His eyes looked up to meet mine.

I let out a breath. I looked back into his eyes with absolute resolution.

“I’ll do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize Tenten might be a little OOC here, but I had so much fun writing her! She is one of my favorite characters! Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out at the bar with friends, and the Hokage lays down his rules.

* * *

In two days, I was supposed to come back to sign the official paperwork and to be briefed about my mission.

When I did come back, Shikamaru asked about the shop. I told him Hana and Hinata were running it for me. Hinata owed me a favor. I was confident that Hana would be able to help Hinata navigate with the tasks she was allowed to do.

I sat down in front of the Hokage's desk and Shikamaru stood beside Kakashi as he looked down at some paperwork.

“Okay, let’s get started then,” Kakashi said. I nodded. I signed the contracts to be back on the force, and I couldn’t help but feel a little excited about it.

I had conditions that I talked to Shika about two days ago. I deserved higher rank missions than before and Kakashi needs to find someone who can manage my shop without me. I trusted Hana, but she was still young and might not stick around long-term. Shikamaru said Kakashi said he already had someone in mind and to not worry about it.

He also assured me the pay will be much more compensating than before and I will be given higher rank missions as a Jonin.

When asked about Mamo, I told them everything I knew. From his favorite color to the way he fights. Shikamaru listened thoughtfully and then told me ways I could manipulate him into opening up more to me.

My heart squeezed but I nodded. Missions come first. Kakashi watched me carefully, and I tried to avoid as much eye contact as possible. I tried to keep my emotions in check.

Shikamaru mostly talked with Kakashi throwing in a question or two—even advice sometimes—now and then. They asked me if everything in the file about me and him were accurate, and I squirmed in my seat, feeling my face become hot. I nodded.

Then Kakashi asked, “Are you in love with him?”

Shikamaru’s eyebrows flew up and I wondered if that question was even on the papers they had in front of them. Shika’s eyebrows furrowed afterwards.

“Um, is that relevant?” I said softly, looking into Kakashi’s eyes.

His eyes met mine with conviction. Without hesitation, he said, “Yes.”

I swallowed. I squirmed in my seat, uncomfortable under his stare. I chose my words carefully. “I am not in love with him, but I do care for him deeply.” At least I am not yet. It was way too soon for that.

I could see Kakashi’s shoulders relax a little as he nodded. He sat back in his chair, thinking. “Just remember that the mission comes first, no matter your feelings.”

“I know.” I gave a tight smile.

Shikamaru gave me a look, almost as if apologizing.

And that was that on the first meeting.

♦♦♦

Less than a month later, Tenten had invited me out and it just so happened that Mamoru was in the village that weekend.

We had agreed to meet at one of the newest bars in the village. Tenten knew the owner and wanted to go support her.

I thought this would be a good night to stay alert for my mission. I was motivated and determined. I put half of my hair up and curled it. I wore a black skirt with a purple crop top. I finished it with a leather jacket, one that Tenten gifted me years ago. I wore fishnet stockings that went up to mid-thigh and put on my boots before leaving.

I carried my small purse with me and felt a pursuer. I was halfway to the bar when I turned around, irritated. “I know you’re out there. Show yourself.”

Yamato came out of the shadows and I did a double take. What the fuck was he doing out here? “Yamato?”

Yamato let a sigh slip out of his lips and walked over to me. “Guess I was sloppy tonight.”

I looked at him like he had two heads. “How many times have you followed me?”

Yamato started to walked and I started too. “Only when the Hokage deems necessary when you’re out on a mission.” I had only seen Mamo twice the last time I officially taken this mission.

I frowned. “Oh. And today is one of those days?”

Yamato glanced at me. “You will likely become inebriated of some sort. He wanted to make sure you were safe.”

I could feel the anger start to boil up in my veins. I stopped and looked at Yamato who glanced back at me. “How does he know we are going out for drinks?”

Yamato’s face didn’t change, and my eyes bore into those big eyes of his. Sometimes they were unnerving. I knew he was close to Kakashi—sometimes I would hear him slip up and call Yamato Tenzo and he would always correct him in front of people. “I believe he overheard Tenten tell Lee about it. Not sure. I just follow orders.”

“Ugh. What a drag.” I started to walk again, shaking my head.

That got a small chuckle out of him. “Careful, you’re starting to sound like Shikamaru.”

“That would be a good thing,” I declared, and then we both laughed quietly. I looked over at him. “You don’t have to hide, Yamato. I know you and now that I know you’re required to tail me, let’s just be open about it.”

Yamato thought about it. “I’ll think about it. I’m not supposed to make myself known.”

“He must really think my shinobi skills have dulled if he doesn’t think I can tell if someone is pursuing me.”

“First time you caught me though, so...”

I hit him with my purse and he let out an actual laugh. It was the first time we’ve had an actual conversation besides polite greetings.

He walked me to the bar and I thanked him. I walked in and looked around for Tenten. I saw her in the back, standing at a round table with Lee, Kiba, and Ino. As I moved closer, I noticed Mamoru had already situated himself there along with Chouji and his girlfriend, Karui. When I came up to the group, they all greeted me excitedly. Ino squeezed me so tightly, and upon closer inspection, I could tell they were either tipsy or totally drunk. Tenten was drunk. Lee kept holding her up as he stated that he’s staying sober for her sake.

She smiled up at him, poking his cheek. “Isn’t he such a good boy? That’s why I love him!” She laughed, taking a swig of her drink.

Mamo moved himself to my side and introduced Karui as his friend that lived in the village. My eyes widened and I looked between them. “Oh! What a small world!”

Tenten came and threw her arm around my neck. “Come on, babe! Let’s do some shots!”

I looked at Mamo and he shrugged, grinning down at me. So Tenten, Kiba, Ino, and I lined up some shots and did them together. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt the alcohol burn down my throat. We did another round, and Ino grabbed my hand, asking me why I didn’t tell her I was dating Mamoru.

We looked at each other and I blushed. We hadn’t really made it official, although we have made out more times than what is appropriate for friends. Mamo winked at me before taking a sip of his drink.

“Sorry, Ino. We just haven’t seen each other! How is Sai doing?” I asked, hoping to get the attention off me. Her face brightened when she talked about him. She said he was home because he had an early mission tomorrow morning.

Before long, I felt a nice buzz coming through. I leaned against Mamo and just pretended I was out on a regular night with my friends, introducing them to my new boyfriend. Tenten exclaimed for us to do more shots and Lee sighed, shaking his head. “Tenten, no more!”

She pouted up at him. “That’s not fair, Lee. You get worse than me when you drink!”

He scowled down at her as she grinned up at him. Then her face lit up as if she got an idea and turned to Mamoru. “I almost forgot that we hadn’t finished our conversation!”

Uh-oh. Maybe I shouldn’t have drank that last glass that Mamo bought me. I had to focus on their conversation. I was so focused earlier, what happened?

I noticed Mamo wasn’t as inebriated as everyone else, only taking sips here and there. He smiled down at her, and nodded. “Sure!”

She started to talk excitedly about weapons before going into that banana palm fan, but I felt Kiba’s hand on my shoulder. “Hey! Look who it is, big sis! Naruto and Hinata came after all!”

I turned to see Naruto coming through with Hinata trailing behind him, their hands joined. He was laughing and smiling as people stopped him to talk to him. He tried to excuse himself as he came closer.

“... and then once I figured _that_ out, it was easy to handle! It just took _so_ much chakra!” I heard Tenten finish loudly.

I turned my head to catch the last of their conversation, and Mamoru was nodding his head, taking another sip. “That’s so interesting how that works.”

Her eyes widened and she nodded enthusiastically. “Isn’t it? If only I could’ve kept it!” She scowled down at her empty glass. “Another!” she declared, pumping her fist in the air. Then she spotted Naruto and Hinata as they came up. “Well, if it isn’t the ‘aww’ couple!”

Everyone started to “aww” out loud to tease them and Hinata’s face turned bright red like a tomato. Everyone laughed as Naruto punched Kiba in the shoulder. “Stop it, you guys!”

Hinata came up to the round table shyly and brushed her long dark hair behind her shoulder, smiling timidly. Kiba threw an arm around her and grinned widely. “Aw, lighten up, ’Nata! We are just messing!”

That gauged a reaction out of her and she rolled her eyes. “Kiba ...”

Naruto’s face fell flat and he picked up Kiba’s hand from Hinata as if it was trash. He threw it off. “Hands off, buddy.”

Kiba looked like a kicked puppy. “Hey! That was a friendly gesture!”

Naruto shrugged and threw his own arm around Hinata, pulling her closer. She was bright red again and I giggled. I leaned into Mamo and he put his arm around my waist. Once Mamo introduced himself to Hinata, everyone was acquainted with each other. Tenten was trying to convince Hinata to do some shots with her. Hinata obliged to one.

Mamo’s arm squeezed me lightly and I smiled up at him. He smiled back and leaned down, touching his nose with mine. He asked if I was doing okay and I nodded my head. After a lot of convincing, the girls did another round of shots, except before Tenten could take another shot, Lee took away the shot glass from her. She scowled at him.

“That is it! I am cutting you off, Tenten!” he declared, shaking his head. He handed the shot glass to Naruto who happily downed it. She glared up at him.

“You’re stupid!” she said and then wobbled as she tried to walk around to go to the bar counter to order another drink.

Before she got far, he threw her over his shoulder and she screamed. Patrons of the bar turned to us as she made a huge scene. Lee waved and told us sorry but it was time for Tenten to leave.

“If Neji were here, he wouldn’t do this!” she said, pounding her small fists on his back.

He sighed but signed us off with a salute and walked out the bar with her.

We all laughed at their ludicrous actions and Kiba wondered out loud when those two were just going to get married.

Ino shrugged, taking a swig of her drink. “I don’t know. She seems pretty content with just messing around right now. She’s having fun, leave her be.”

I thought back to Hana and hoped she would still have a chance.

Us girls did the round of shots when Tenten left. I was pretty drunk now and I actually was horrified at that fact as I was supposed to be on a mission. Maybe this will be harder than I thought. I had really wanted to pretend it was a normal night more than anything.

Drunk, I waved to my friends goodbye after Mamo cut me off from drinking more. They all looked so happy as they said goodbye back. I loved them all so much.

Mamo held my hand as he walked me back and I would giggle every now and then. I wobbled and let him catch me as I stumbled. “Now that I know your limit, I will definitely stop you next time,” he said, chuckling.

He picked me up and I giggled, poking his cheek. “You’re too good to me, Mamo.”

“Of course. You’re my girlfriend, I need to take care of you.” He said it so casually and easily that it made me feel so happy.

My face flushed, I buried my face in his neck. “So ... we’re official?”

Mamo kept walking and I heard him chuckle again. “Unless you don’t want to?”

Even in my drunken state, I knew this was complicated. I closed my eyes, trying to think straight. Mission. First. Feelings. Second.

And yet ...

“I want to,” I found myself whispering, my lips moving against his skin right below his ear. I really wanted to. I wanted to be a normal girl with a normal boyfriend.

Not a shinobi undercover to pick him apart.

“Then it’s decided.” We neared my house and he set me down on my feet when we approached the door. He looked down at me, moving my hair over my shoulder. His hand came up to cup one side of my face. “We are official.”

He leaned down and I closed my eyes, feeling him seal our fate with a touch of his lips.

♦♦♦

At the next meeting where I had to report what I learned, I revealed how Mamoru asked Tenten about the fan the first time he met her. I also mentioned the second time they talked about it last Friday when Tenten brought it back up. They looked at each other and Shikamaru wrote on a paper attached to his clipboard.

“Okay, that’s suspicious. Keep an eye on that then,” Shikamaru said.

I nodded. After discussing some other things I found out, Kakashi dismissed Shikamaru because he needed to talk to me alone.

I rose both of my eyebrows, but didn’t say anything as Shikamaru excused himself. Kakashi leaned back in his chair and set his eyes on me. I waited expectantly.

“We need to talk about your relationship with this Mamoru.”

I stiffened. I thought we already did that when he reminded me about feelings on a mission. “Okay …”

“Now that you’re officially on a mission involving him, I want you to understand that suppressing your feelings is of the utmost importance.” Kakashi looked at me, his eyes unnerving. I blinked. “I know there will be some … things you might need to do to keep up the appearance, but I hope you understand that it shouldn’t go beyond that.”

I drew my eyebrows in. “I know that. It might have started off real, but my village and this mission will always come first.” I looked at him, afraid he would take this mission away at any second. I had to convince him I had my feelings under wrap.

Kakashi looked relieved and then smiled. “Good. I thought I was going to get more push back.”

Confused, I tilted my head to the side. “Not at all, Lord Sixth.” I smiled back. “So am I dismissed?”

“Oh, sure,” he said and then cleared his throat. “Make sure to report the following Monday after you meet with him on Saturday.”

“Right,” I said as I stood up. I gave him a wave as I said my goodbye.

If only I had understood what he truly meant when he said those words to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama is coming up soon! Please let me know your thoughts! I am having a blast writing this fic. It's been a long while since I felt no pressure while writing a story. It's been extremely freeing.
> 
> Did anyone catch the tiny Community reference I threw in there? ("Well, if it isn't the 'aww couple'!") One of my favorite shows of all time :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

The following Saturday came faster than I realized.

It was by chance that I got to see Mamoru again so fast. Usually, with him being a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud, it would take longer in between to see each other. However, by luck, he took on another mission that was close to the Leaf. He wanted to properly take me out this time instead of a social gathering.

I obliged happily. He told me to dress up nice. I wore a deep maroon dress that flowed a bit out at my knees. I matched the outfit with some black high heels that had a little bow attached to the back of them. I let my hair down, not really doing anything except for adding some hair products to add some volume. Some quick makeup and I was set to go. Mamoru came at the expected time to pick me up. He looked extremely handsome in his civilian clothes with a nice long sleeved white shirt and black slacks. He smiled widely when he saw me.

Dinner was pleasant. We went to a high-end sushi restaurant. I felt more giddy that night than I had in a while, probably because we were spending some alone time together. It had been a while since we had been hanging out with our friends mostly. He had officially been introduced to most of my friends now, and somehow, that made the relationship more real to me.

However, a little voice always pulled me back, reminding me that I was on a mission. I could no longer indulge in these kind of feelings and I had to reel myself back from feeling anything more.

But it seemed so hard when he would smile at me like I was the only girl in the world and do things that made me feel special.

After dinner, he asked if I wanted to go take a walk in a nearby park. I said yes. I hooked my hands around his arm and we made our way there. The moon was high up in the sky, the stars accompanying it as they winked down at us. We came upon a pond, a bridge going over the water. The lamps down the trail were still on so we headed over to admire the nature. I casually asked him about his family, having done it only once since he dodged my question then, wondering if I could get lucky this time. We had been dating for a couple of months now, and it seemed he was ready to open up.

“I’m not sure if you’ve figured it out yet,” he started as we approached the red bridge. “But my uncle is the current Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village.” I tried to act surprised when I rose my eyebrows at him. He gave me a meek smile. “I didn’t want to talk about it before because sometimes people suck up to me and try to take advantage, or they resent me because of him.”

I looked at him, confusion scrawled all over my face. “Why would anyone resent you because of that?”

Mamoru let go of me and leaned over the railing of the bridge, looking down at the pond. I kept facing him, my elbow resting on the railing. The water trickled quietly beneath us, the koi fish swimming around under the moonlight. He let out a quick laugh—harsh and sarcastic. “He …” Mamo’s eyebrows furrowed and he looked like he was trying to find the right words. “The war had changed our village. Don’t get me wrong, we are in a time of peace. The villagers seem happy and we have never been stronger. But … some of the shinobi started to resent our Raikage.”

Shocked, I drew up my eyebrows in concern. “How does that even happen?” I asked quietly.

Mamo glanced at me, remorse in his eyes. “Most of us knew we were under an alliance with all the lands. However …” He looked straight ahead. “Some shinobi just didn’t get it. The Raikage had always been very involved in our army. He would help us with higher rank missions when he saw fit. Most of us saw him as a fellow comrade. So when he wasn’t beside us in the battlefield, I think most of them took it the wrong way.” He shook his head, sighing. “It’s kind of all fucked up. I feel like most of them _knew_ that. They _knew_ he wasn’t just abandoning them, and yet …”

I stayed silent, letting him continue.

“And yet, most of them _did_ feel abandoned. A lot of the Hidden Cloud were sectioned off together and we were in a tight spot.” His eyes had a faraway look in them. “Everyone in my troop would have died if I hadn’t come up with a solution to save us all. We did lose a lot and they thought if the Raikage was with us, none of that would have happened. I believe they think that the Raikage wasn’t doing his job. But the thing is he was. He helped save us all in the end.”

I soaked in his words, wondering if people felt this way towards Lady Tsunade. I briefly remembered in his file that his girlfriend was killed in action. Was she there, in his troop? I looked over at him worriedly. I didn’t want to think of it as a motive, but I’m sure Shikamaru and Kakashi would think otherwise. I had hope that he wasn’t in that group of looking down at the Raikage.

Mamoru looked down at his hands, still leaning on the bridge’s railing with his elbows. He sighed and shook his head. “It’s just … sometimes I feel the same way. I know it wasn’t like that. I _know_ he was off with the other Kages protecting us from bigger enemies. But how do you explain that to people who risked their lives? Do you know what I mean? Especially knowing that with his help, we could’ve prevented many casualties. And sometimes they direct that anger at me because I’m his nephew, or they compare me to him as a better leader because I am also his nephew. I’m sorry. It’s just confusing sometimes.” He put his head in his hands, and I felt a pang in my chest.

I reached out and put a hand on his arm. “Mamo …” I murmured. “The war was heavy on all of us. It still is. I might not understand completely what you’re going through, but I do know what the after effects can do to a person. You are only human to be feeling what you’re feeling. We all go back and wonder what each of us could’ve done differently to save someone.”

Mamo turned his head to look at me and gave me a half-smile. “Thank you, beautiful.” He took a deep breath, washing away the tension off his face and stood up straight. “Now, shall I walk you home?”

I gave him a smile. “Sure.” He offered his arm and I curled my hands around his bent elbow. We walked in comfortable silence and I leaned my head on his shoulder. He squeezed my hand. He pulled back when we were in front of my door and I looked up at him.

Mamo brushed back my hair from my shoulder, exposing one side of my neck. His fingers made my heart flutter and I felt this electrifying feeling when his fingers brushed over my bare skin. He looked down at me through half-shut eyes, almost lost in thought. I took a step closer, tilting my chin up so I could look into his eyes. His fingers danced across my cheek before he cupped one side of my side and leaned down to kiss me.

I closed my eyes and waited for the impact of his soft lips. He hooked his other arm around my waist and pulled me close. I lifted myself up on the tips of my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. The kiss was tender, slow, and drawn out. My fingers pressed at the nape of his neck, feeling his heartbeat under them. My hands slowly moved up to move into his hair and I slightly tugged it. That did it.

He grabbed my hips and pinned me to my door, kissing more fervently. I let out a soft moan, and his lips started to kiss down to my neck. I closed my eyes, turning my head so I could give him more access. It has been a while since we’ve been together and I missed it. I felt his hands slid up my sides and then wrap around to the small of my back. He breathed my name in my ear and I shivered as his tongue caressed the outer shell of my ear.

“Yes?” I gasped.

“Can I stay with you tonight?” I heard him ask, his head lifting so his lips could connect to mine.

I was lost in thought, already knowing my answer. My hands roamed over his broad chest, aching to see the shirt off him. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and dig my fingernails in his back while he took me. “Yes, plea—”

Suddenly, he stopped. His arms tightened around my waist and his head shot up. I blinked at the sudden reaction.

“Mamoru?” I said softly as he looked around. He was rigid now, on alert. I tried to calm my breathing and heart so I could see if I detected anyone else, but I couldn’t. I was still distracted by our make out session. Damn it. A shinobi should be able to quickly regather themselves to assess a situation. His face hardened and then he stood back, holding onto my shoulders. I blinked, looking up at him. “Mamo?”

His nickname brought him back to me. He looked down at me, a smile appearing on his face. “Sorry, beautiful. I …” Mamoru looked uneasy, almost confused.

“Didn’t you want to come inside?” I said, pointing at the door behind me over my shoulder.

Mamo looked at me and then shook his head. “Ah, yes, sorry. I completely forgot that I had to do something else tonight before I left tomorrow morning.”

My shoulders sagged in disappointment. “Oh.”

“But the next time I’m in town, I will definitely make it up to you, okay?” He tilted my chin up so I looked up at him. I felt heat rise into my cheeks and I nodded. His genuine smile came back. “Okay, good.” He bent down and kissed my lips gently. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

“Goodnight, Mamo,” I said, smiling. I turned to unlock my door and went inside. I faced him and waved at him one last time before I shut the door. I leaned back against the door, letting the confusion wash over me.

Was someone out there? I cocked my head to the side, trying to feel any chakra around me, but I couldn’t. I took a deep breath and shook it out of my mind.

The following Monday, I reported early in the morning. I wore a bright sundress, one of my typical outfits for the tea shop. I braided my hair down to one side and put on light makeup. I left and made my way to the Hokage Tower. Shikamaru greeted me, his lazy smile always a welcome to me. When we entered the room, I immediately knew something felt off. Shikamaru didn’t seem to notice or at least didn’t make known if he felt that tension.

When Kakashi’s eyes met mine, they seemed cold. I swallowed, smoothing down the front of my dress before making my way to the chair in front of his desk. “Morning, Lord Sixth.”

He nodded and then shuffled papers underneath his hands. “So,” Shikamaru said. “Get anything on Saturday?”

I thought back to my talk with Mamoru and then nodded. “I’m not sure if this is even relevant, but I’ll make sure to share every detail in case there’s something you might know that I don’t.” I relayed what Mamoru told me about his troops. How some of them were not happy with the Raikage, and how a lot of them had felt abandoned during the war. Shikamaru’s eyebrows drew in as he listened closely, frowning. Kakashi took it all in, having a similar troubled look in his eyes.

When I finished, I looked at both of them, biting my lip. “And that’s all I have. It’s a heavy topic for sure, and the most he has opened up to me so far.”

“No, that’s good,” Shikamaru said, glancing down at Kakashi. “That could be even put in consideration towards motive if anything else comes up.”

My eyes lowered to the floor. That’s what I thought. I almost felt guilty dumping all of Mamoru’s secret feelings in front of Kakashi and Shikamaru. But the mission comes first. I took a deep breath and looked back up.

Shikamaru was scrawling something on his clipboard and then nodded at me. “Great job. We might actually have a lead into this and we will let the Raikage know. Maybe he’s heard of something similar from his shinobi or villagers. Could dig up some other stuff.”

I gave him a meek smile. He excused himself and I looked over my shoulder as he shut the door behind him. I turned back to Kakashi, ready to ask if I was dismissed.

I was met with his cold eyes. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

I felt nervous all of a sudden. Did I do something wrong? I couldn’t think of anything between back when I last saw him and now. “Okay.”

“Is it true that you were going to let Mamoru spend the night with you on Saturday?” His tone was even, low, and dark.

I blinked at him. How did he …? Suddenly, a surge of anger rolled over my body. “Are you _spying_ on me?” That would explain the weird reaction that Mamoru had if he sensed someone. I had assumed that Kakashi only made Yamato tail me when I was alone and would leave when he saw I was home safely. I guess I was wrong.

Kakashi didn’t even look fazed. “Answer the question please.”

I pursed my lips, my face suddenly flaming up. “I mean, I’m his girlfriend—”

“I thought we discussed this clearly last week. You may have to do certain things in public to keep up the appearance, but it shouldn’t go beyond that.”

I gave him an incredulous look. Was he trying to control me in this mission now? In this relationship? Did he think I was so weak that I would let whatever I needed to do for the relationship affect me? I thought we were past all that. “But why?” I heard myself blurt out. I was pissed.

“Because he’s your mission now. He is no longer your boyfriend—he is a _target_.” Kakashi’s eyes challenged my own, and I bit my tongue. I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

“I understand that, but—”

Kakashi put his hand up, stopping me. “That will be all. You are dismissed.”

Fuming, I shot up out my chair. Childishly, I slammed the door on the way out. How dare he try to control me again? I thought we had a mutual agreement. I thought this was supposed to change everything and he was going to respect me enough to let me handle this mission! I ran down the stairs, almost knocking over Shikamaru in the process. Naruto was with him and he called out after me. I was too angry to even look back.

Not again. Not me. He was not going to do this again to me. I was going to do this my way whether he liked it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts! Ah, please bear with me, I know Kakashi seems so cold and mean but it won't be long until that all breaks! I promise. Can you really blame him since the girl he loves is being felt up by another dude?! The drama is only starting and I am really excited to be putting out the next few chapters.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi finally breaks.

* * *

Turns out he didn’t like it.

It had been a month since I last saw Mamoru, and when he came back in town, he wanted to go out somewhere. Something good must have happened, because he was in higher spirits than usual. His teammates were also unusually happy. I figured maybe their mission was high rank, and if they succeeded, they would definitely reap some benefits.

I felt a pang of jealousy then, wondering how many higher rank missions I have missed out on so I could prove my abilities to my village.

I pushed those feelings to the side and decided to invite Ayame out. She wasn’t particularly part of our circle, but I loved her company and she was single. Kiba was having a house party and had invited us all, including Mamo and his crew. So when I asked him if it was okay to invite Ayame, he was like, “Of course! The more the merrier!”

I didn’t think Ayame would take the invitation since she was working in the ramen shop that night, but she happily obliged. She said she barely has time to go out and a few drinks sounded great.

Her dad let her go home early so she could get ready. Tenten had come over before we left so we could get ready together. She said she invited her own plus one. “I thought I told you that this would’ve been a good opportunity to get to know Mamo’s other teammates and _maybe_ have a good time. That’s why I also invited Ayame since she’s single too.”

Tenten scowled at me in the mirror as she was doing my hair. “I just figured the more the merrier! I can still get to know them!”

“Was it Lee?”

She didn’t look at me and went back to doing my hair. “Maybe.”

I groaned. “Tenten … I thought you were happy messing around. We’ve talked about this a million times. If you still have feelings for him, then you have to let him know.”

Tenten pulled on my hair a little harder and I gave out a yelp. I glared at her and she giggled. “Stop being so silly, babe. I told you I’m over him. Ever since the war …” She had a faraway look in her eyes as I watched her in the mirror. My eyes dimmed. She meant to say was ever since Neji passed away, Lee had been kind of distant with her. More reserved. Less enthusiastic than usual unless he was around Guy.

“If you ask me, I think he might like you too. Maybe because of Neji’s passing, he doesn’t want to lose you too,” I offered gently. She bit her lip, going back to doing my hair. “Maybe he thinks if it doesn’t work out, you guys won’t be close anymore. At least, that’s my theory.”

“Maybe,” she said in a small voice. “Or maybe he doesn’t have feelings for me at all and _I_ would be the one messing it all up and he will never be comfortable around me again.” She stood back, smiling at me in the mirror. “There. All done.”

“Thanks, Ten,” I said, smiling back at her. I admired her work, moving my head from side to side, letting my curls fall around my shoulders. She only pinned up half of my hair.

Tenten decided to wear a skin tight dusty rose dress. She wanted to be twins so she brought a similar one to me but in the color blue. It was a deep navy blue and went down mid-thigh. She picked out some black high heels for me and then we were on our way.

Even approaching the house, we could tell the party was in full swing. The music was loud and thumping from the outside. There were people coming in and out of the front door, stumbling, laughing, or excited to get the night started. I looked over at her, my eyebrows flying up. Tenten let out a snort. “Kiba is popular. You missed out on his last party. It was _amazing_.” She wiggled her fingers at me excitedly.

Inside Kiba’s house, I saw Mamo and his crew there with the rest of our friends. They all gathered in the living room. Chouji and Karui were laughing at something Mamo said. Ino and Kiba were arguing about something, and I was even surprised to see Sai was there, looking amongst the two with an amused expression. Ayame was talking excitedly about something with Lee. He had matched her enthusiasm and laughed heartily at her response. She leaned forward, putting her hand on his arm, her eyes squinting up with laughter.

I looked over at Tenten and her facial expression hardened. She looked away, and then she started to move towards the kitchen. “I need a drink,” she muttered.

“It’s probably nothing!” I said, following her. “She’s a couple years older than him!”

“By like three years,” she said bitterly. We passed through a wave of people, pushing ourselves inside the kitchen. Tenten went up to one of the cupboards, looking through it. She found what she was looking for and pulled out a bottle of liquor. I furrowed my eyebrows. I was going to have to ask her later how she knew it was there.

“Still!” I said, trying to come up with something as she grabbed a glass from another cupboard.

She turned to me, her eyes cold. “Why did you invite her anyway?”

I felt taken aback. “Tenten, you’re overreacting.”

She scoffed as she turned back and poured a little of the liquor in her cup. She downed it within seconds, and then poured herself another shot. Next, she half-filled the cup. She looked around and there was a cooler leaning against the kitchen sink. She went over as people opened it and closed it. Finding something to mix her drink with, she came back. “Tenten,” I said, pleading. She ignored me as she mixed her drink. When she was done, she put away the bottle of liquor before she started to make her way towards the living room. 

She was halfway done with the drink when she stood in front of Lee and Ayame. They turned towards her, their faces grinning from ear to ear. “Hey!” she said loudly, and then proceeded to squeeze between the two.

With a sigh, I followed suit, sneaking up to Mamo. His eyes lit up when he saw me. I said hello to the group. Ino squealed when we arrived, and then grabbed Sai’s arm. “Look who decided to show up!”

He laughed nervously and I giggled. “Nice to see you socialize, Sai,” I said.

“Like I had a choice,” he said, still smiling.

Ino punched his arm. “Don’t tell them that!”

We all laughed and Sai looked confused by that. Ino’s face flushed, but she still looked happy.

Tenten relaxed more as the alcohol settled in her system, and she flushed with happiness when she got to talking to one of Mamo’s teammates about weapons. Lee had a soft smile on his face when he watched her talking, not even flinching as she slammed her fist down on a coffee table when she disagreed on the best weapon to use on the battlefield with the Hidden Cloud shinobi.

Yup, definitely head over heels for her.

Ayame moved onto Mamo’s other teammate, and she blushed when they got to talking. Seeing this, Tenten became content. She grinned at me, giving me her best impression of Guy with a thumbs up. I rolled my eyes, laughing. Mamo offered to get me a drink and I accepted only one. He seemed to be hammering down drinks, the most I’ve ever seen him do. He usually was careful with his alcohol intake.

The rest of the night breezed by. The party lasted until two-thirty in the morning. Half of the group decided to go on home while the other decided we should find a 24-hour diner to eat out. Mamo, his teammates, Karui, and Chouji decided to come with us. By the time we headed on our way home, it was nearly three-thirty in the morning. The guys and I held up Mamo back to their room. They all laughed at how shit faced he got, but his grin never left. He would often tell me how lucky he was to have me.

I giggled. “No, seriously, beautiful,” he slurred as we entered the inn they were staying at. “I am so lucky to have met you.”

Once he was settled in their room, I said my goodbyes and headed home. I was exhausted. When I entered my house, I noticed a figure sitting on the couch and froze.

♦♦♦

Kakashi sat in my living room as if he had been doing it all his life. He was reading a book and only glanced up when I let out a confused noise.

My eyes scanned the rest of my house that was visible and I tried to feel for a second. Three—no, four—ANBU nearby. Outside. I frowned, taking off my heels and putting them to the side.

“Ka—” I stopped myself and took a deep breath. “Lord Sixth, what’s the meaning of this?” I pouted, hanging my jacket on the coat rack. I hung my purse too, feeling his eyes on me.

“I came to check on you after your mission.” I heard his book snap close.

I rolled my eyes but then turned to him, reaching up to take out all the bobby pins from my hair. “And do you break into all the shinobi houses you oversee to get a mission report? I was going to hand it in tomorrow morning. It’s really late.” I took out the pins, feeling my hair succumb to gravity. I walked over to the kitchen and set the bobby pins down on the counter. I untied all the things Tenten did to my hair and shook my hair out.

When I turned, I jumped to see Kakashi was right in front of me. I leaned back against the counter. “Exactly,” he said, his voice clipped. “It’s _really_ late.”

I narrowed my eyes as I looked up at him, feeling an argument ensuing soon if he didn’t cut the attitude. “Your point?”

“Why were you out so late?” He crossed his arms.

I laughed in disbelief. “I don’t know! Because missions like these take time! Mamo wanted to—”

“ _Mamoru_ ,” he corrected. “The target of your assignment. Don’t forget that.”

I glared up at him. “Like you’ll let me.”

He looked down at me, his lips pursing behind his mask. “You wore that out with him?”

“God, Kakashi, _yes_! I’m supposed to act like his girlfriend, right?” I pushed passed him to go down the hallway to my room. “You’re not supposed to be this concerned!” I called over my shoulder.

He was already in my room and I glowered at him. “Did you sleep with him?”

I clenched my fists at my side and he was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. I looked at him, feeling anger swelling in my chest. “No. But even if I did, that would be none of your business.”

“On this assignment, it is.” His voice came out low and dark.

I opened my drawer and angrily searched for sleepwear. “You’re so infuriating,” I muttered under my breath. I closed my drawer with a harsh push. I turned. “Nothing happened, okay? We went to a party and we mingled. We drank, him more than me. A few of us went out to eat after. I had his buddies help me take him to his room at the inn. Then I came straight here.”

He was in front of me in an instant and I didn’t even flinch. I raised my eyes to meet his cold ones. “You were in a room full of guys _alone_?”

“For like five minutes! And they’re my friends too!” I said, pushing past him.

“They are not your friends, but associated with the _target_.” His voice came out cold.

I put my clothes on the corner of my bed, trying to breathe in calmness. “I am well aware of that.” I turned to him and saw him draw closer. My dress rode up when I walked and I went to adjust it. “I just don’t understand why you are being like this.”

“Being like what?”

“I don’t know! Overbearing! Micromanaging! Overprotective! Take your pick!” I said, looking at him. “You told me that—”

Before I knew it, he grabbed my waist and tossed me on the bed. He was hovering over me in an instant and had my wrists pinned down. My eyes widened and my whole body squirmed underneath him.

He had his mask down and he licked his lips as he looked down at me. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. Especially when ...” He dipped his head low to caress my exposed collarbone and caressed over to my shoulder. I shivered under his touch and tried to muffle my whimper. “... when you’re dressed like that. It’s not fair. I want to tuck you away and be the only one who gets to see you like this.”

My breathing was becoming more erratic as I felt his lips travel across to the other side and trailing light kisses across my bare skin. “K-Kakashi ...” It was almost a cry, a pleading whisper, a desperate need.

I felt his breathing come out faster, and his hands tightened around my wrists as if he was trying to find self-control somewhere too. My thighs pushed together to keep from feeling excited and I could feel my skin becoming hot.

His lips traveled up my neck and I turned my head, not sure if it was to give him more room or to avoid eye contact so I didn’t give in. His whisper ghosted against the skin of my ear and I shivered at his words, biting back a moan. “You’re still _mine_.”

Then, he was gone. A cloud of smoke appearing above me. I let my breathing come out freely, uneven and shaky. I felt the wetness between my legs and my skin prickling all over. I put a hand over my face, feeling myself losing control. I wanted to stop, I really did.

But his words, his skin, his scent, his voice ... all those things combined drove me crazy enough to lose my mind. So my hand traveled down my body, getting lost in between my legs, finishing what he started as tears streamed down my face.

♦♦♦

The next few days were quiet. I tried to push what happened Friday night to the back of my mind.

On Monday, I sat in my tea shop, watching as my replacement went around controlling everything. Him and Hana worked well together. I leaned my head on the palm of my hand, wondering where Kakashi plucked him from.

After I was done, I brought my cup to the back kitchen. I said my goodbyes and left the shop. Shikamaru was outside the shop, giving me a pointed look. I groaned inwardly.

I missed my meeting with Kakashi this morning as I didn’t feel like going. I didn’t even bother sending a shadow clone.

I followed suit, huffing loudly so he knew I didn’t want to go. Shikamaru slipped his hands in his pockets and looked over at me. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I said, crossing my arms.

As we neared the Tower, Shikamaru tried to get more out of me. “Come on, sis. Even Kakashi has been restless these past few days. And when you didn’t show up this morning, he wanted to go look for you himself. I had to convince him to let me get you as he has his duties.”

I rolled my eyes. He was so irrational.

“Did something happen between you two?”

“No,” I said, and even I knew that was a lie. Shikamaru gave me another look, but I ignored him as I ran up the steps.

I waited for him at the top and opened the door for him. We walked down the corridor and I waited as he knocked on the door before peeking his head inside. “She’s here.”

I rocked back on my heels as Shikamaru waved me in. “Thanks, Shika.” I gave him a smile as he nodded, closing the door behind him.

Then there were two.

“You didn’t show up.”

“Hm?” I avoided eye contact, looking at my fingernails. “I overslept. I’m sorry.”

“No, you didn’t. I sent a shadow clone to your house.”

I bit my lip, looking around the room. I clasped my hands in front of me. “Oh? Sorry then.”

He said my name. “Look at me.”

I sighed, looking up to meet his eyes. He motioned for me to sit. I felt my cheeks turn hot as I sat, almost pouting. I leaned back in the chair, crossing my legs.

He sighed, sitting back in his chair. “Let me just brief you real quick.”

When we got to business, I listened attentively. I first told him that there wasn’t anything to report. I nodded at his words and he showed me the paperwork, moving his pen across names I need to know and people I need to look for. “Okay, simple enough.” I slapped my hands on my thighs, getting ready to stand when his voice stopped me.

“Listen. About the other night.” He stood up and walked around his desk to me, both hands in his pockets, leaning back against the desk. I felt my back stiffen. I wanted to avoid this.

“We don’t have to ...” He cut me off.

“I went too far,” he said, looking down at me, his eyes softening. “You were right about me going to your home.”

My cheeks flamed and I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “It’s fine, Lord Sixth. You have your reasons.” The more I agreed with him, the faster the conversation would end, I thought.

I suddenly felt his fingers under my chin. He made me look up at him, his fingers brushing down my jawline. I felt my lips part automatically, my thighs pressing together, my fingernails digging into my skin. His eyes landed on mine and there was no waver to his voice. He made sure to make me understand. “But I meant what I said.” His thumb brushed over my lower lip and I felt myself flush everywhere. I looked down, curling my hands into fists in my lap, biting my lip. How could I be this ... excited?

“Am I ... dismissed?” I said in a small voice.

A pause. I didn’t dare look up. I was trying to keep my breathing even. Then, “Yes.”

I stood up and bowed, not looking at him. It was the first time I’ve ever done so while he was in term. “If you’ll excuse me, Lord Sixth.” Then I turned and practically ran out of there.

I felt breathless as I made it into the hallway. I looked around and saw no one. I felt slightly dizzy, and I walked down a little before stopping to catch my breath.

 _You’re still_ mine.

_I meant what I said._

Why did these words he uttered drove me wildly insane? And why did I want him to say them again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH, so we are finally getting somewhere with Kakashi!! I hope you guys are liking it! Please let me know your thoughts! I am really nervous about releasing this chapter but also excited. Don't worry, there is more to come like this so keep an eye out (;
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC and Mamoru get invited to a shinobi conference, and she hopes they don't run into the Hokage while there.

* * *

The bell chimed when I opened the door.

Tenten wasn’t at the counter, and I walked in, looking around. “I’ll be right with you!” I heard her call out from the back. I smiled as I looked at all the weapons carefully displayed under the glass. There were a few of her personal weapons exhibited on the walls, and I saw how she delicately placed every weapon in their own spot.

I heard her quick footsteps, rounding the corner. “Hi, sorry about that! What can I …” She stopped as she saw me. “Hey!” A huge grin broke on her face. “Whatcha doing here?”

“I wanted to see your shop!” I said, coming up to the counter. She giggled, blushing. “It’s amazing, Ten! I’m so proud of you!” I reached out and grabbed her hands.

She squeezed tightly and then leaned back, beaming as she looked around. “I know. I can’t believe I did it!”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Well, I believe it! You are always so determined!”

Just then, the bell chimed as a new customer walked in. My face brightened when I saw that it was Sakura.

“Sakura!” I squealed, running up to her and hugging her. She laughed, leaning back as she threw her arms around me. “It’s been too long!”

“Big sis! It really has been,” she said, pulling back but still holding onto my hands. She peered over me to look at Tenten.

I let go of her hands and let her go up to the counter. “Sakura, just in time! I was just polishing your gift before you came in.” Tenten turned and left to the back.

I looked at Sakura with curiosity. “Gift?”

Her whole face lit up and a blush spread across her cheeks. “Um, yeah. Sasuke is going to be in the village for a little while and I thought I would surprise him with a gift!”

“Sakura, that is so cute!” I said.

Tenten came back and she had a white box with an elegant red ribbon tied around it. “Here you go. I already wrapped it up for you, but they are exactly how you last saw them. I’m sure Sasuke is going to love these customized shuriken!”

“Thanks, Tenten,” Sakura said, reaching into her pocket. After the money exchange, Sakura was leaving to say goodbye.

“Come by the tea shop soon! I’m working this Thursday!” I called after her. She turned, the door being held open by her hip.

“I will take you up on that!” she said, waving her goodbye to us.

♦♦♦

Thursday had come. It had been a while since I managed the tea shop myself, and surprisingly, I had kind of missed it.

It felt like a much needed lull as Hana and I tidied things up and cleaned around. The sound of the machines, the please-and-thank-you’s, the clang of the register opening and closing. It was like for a brief period I wasn’t undercover and I was back in that limbo state of being a civilian.

Sakura had come in and I couldn’t help but feel my heart tug as I saw her. “Sakura! You came!”

“I told you I would, big sis!” she said, coming up. She greeted Hana and then slipped on a stool.

“How have you been?” I said, already moving to brew her favorite tea.

She let out a sigh, and I heard her say, “Oh, you know. Busy. I feel like I’m living in the hospital! If I’m not out on a mission, I’m in there most of the time.”

I hummed in response. I turned and brought the tea over to her. She smiled up at me in appreciation. “Any treats?”

I was already moving before she gave a response, opening the sliding door. I knew she would say—

“Strawberry cake, please!”

—and put two on her plate. “On the house, Doctor.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, waving her hand. “Stop it.”

I giggled. I leaned on my elbows, watching her take a tentative sip of the hot tea. “How are Shizune and Lady Tsunade doing?”

Sakura smiled. “Shizune is doing great! She’s really coming into her own as the head of the hospital. Lady Tsunade has gone traveling for a bit. She’s been sending letters now and then and seems to be enjoying her retirement.”

I smiled widely. “Good! She deserves it. Although, I do miss her.”

“As her eldest student, I’m sure you do.”

“As her best student, you probably make her the most proud.”

Sakura snorted and then blushed. “Maybe ...” She did run a whole department herself and Lady Tsunade beamed with pride at Sakura’s congratulatory party we threw her. Sakura then made a noise and she took a sip of her tea. “But I’ve been super stressed with preparing for the conference that’s coming up.”

Jealousy fueled me and I pushed it down. I frowned. “What’s going on?”

“I’m supposed to be running the medical ninjutsu presentation all by myself. I’m kind of nervous about it, but all Sasuke keeps saying is that I will do fine.”

I gave her a smile. “You will do _amazing_ ,” I offered.

She giggled behind the cup. “Thank you. Now _that’s_ more like it.”

We laughed quietly and I helped Hana with a customer before going back to her. This would be the first year that a shinobi conference would be held in the Leaf. The first one was a few years ago when Lady Tsunade was still in office, right after the war. It was amazing getting to meet so many different people that didn’t involve fighting on a battlefield for our lives.

Sakura and I chatted about other stuff, and I loved hearing her fill me in on the things she was currently doing. She also giddily confessed in a whisper that her and Sasuke were finally trying for children. Now that made my eyes widen like saucers and she laughed at my reaction. Good thing there weren’t many people in the tea shop at the time. But I was so happy for her as the blush never left her face while talking about her husband. I smiled dreamily, wondering if I would ever get to be like that.

When Sakura left, I was still pondering over the conference. It was so frustrating I couldn’t just come out and go since I’m supposed to be undercover.

It might reach Mamo and we couldn’t have that. That’s why, when Shikamaru approached Mamoru and I a few days later, I was taken aback.

We were getting some dango and sitting in a booth. I was giggling at something Mamo said when I saw his ponytail over the edge of the booth. When he approached, he said, “There you guys are. Lee told me you were at the training grounds and it was such a drag finding you.” I knew he had met Mamoru briefly before because of Chouji and Karui.

“Hey, Shika!” I said, grinning. “We were just there! Sorry!” Mamoru said his greeting and then Shikamaru made a motion at me to scoot on over.

Confused, I slid to my right. He sat next to me. “All right, I have something to propose to you two.”

Mamoru and I exchanged glances. What was going on? He shrugged.

“Mamoru,” Shikamaru started, “your chakra nature is lightning, correct?”

Mamoru nodded. “Yeah.”

Shika nodded. “Okay, good. So is big sis here.” I rose an eyebrow. “There’s a scientist, Katasuke Tōno, who has approached the Hokage about making scientific tools with different chakra natures and he wants to start with lightning.” My eyebrows flew up. “I know, it’s a pretty new topic. It’s not been explored yet, but he really seems to be interested in the lightning element to do an experiment of some sort.” Shikamaru shrugged.

“Okay ...” I said.

He turned his head to me. “You were our best lightning user next to Lord Hokage when you were a shinobi. We could use your expertise on this subject matter.”

“Like be a consultant?” I said. He nodded.

He looked at Mamoru next. “Mamoru, the Raikage has spoken highly of you several times and recommended you as another consultant to represent the Hidden Cloud.”

Mamoru blinked for a second. “He did?”

Shikamaru nodded. “Sure did. The meeting is at the conference next week. What do you say? We just want you guys to help lead the meeting with me to discuss this possible collaboration with the scientist. Offer your expertise on lightning chakra and all that.”

I grinned. “I’m in. It would be nice to dip my toes in the shinobi world again.” And by that, I meant out in the open.

Mamoru smiled at me. “All right, seems like I’m in as well.”

Shikamaru put that lazy smile on his face. “Perfect. I’ll set it up, give you some details soon. I’ll talk to the Raikage that you accepted, Mamoru, and I’m sure he will set you up with accommodations here next week.” Mamo nodded at him.

I couldn’t stifle back my excitement as I tapped the table rapidly. Mamoru chuckled. “Sounds great, Shika!”

“Cool.” Shikamaru slid out of the booth. “I’ll let Lord Hokage know then. See ya.”

“Bye!” we called after him as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, turning to leave.

I looked at Mamoru, the smile hurting my face now. “Oh, my goodness! Can you believe that? They actually came to _us_!” I said.

Mamoru grinned back at me. “Seems like we are a power couple now.” He winked.

I giggled, blushing. I never thought of it like that before. “Sure seems like it.”

♦♦♦

It was Thursday and the first day of the conference. I was excited. It was a two-day conference, but we were only invited on the first day.

I wore my best professional business outfit, and Mamoru came to pick me up. The Raikage had set him up at an inn here for the weekend, so that was even more thrilling as we will have the weekend to ourselves.

Apparently, Mamoru didn’t come alone. He kept going on about this man named Zaheer. After a while, I had remembered he was one of the names that Kakashi told me to keep an eye out. I mentally filed away all the things Mamoru kept telling me about him. It was so apparent that Mamoru idolized this guy and my eyebrows furrowed. If Kakashi told me to watch out for this guy, then I had a bad feeling.

In the newest building built for events like this, Mamo led me to the conference room. I guess he had been here before related to other business stuff between the Hidden Cloud and Leaf.

There was buzz that the Hokage was also in the same building, and for some reason, that made me nervous. I desperately hoped we wouldn’t run into him. I haven’t been in the same room with him and Mamo and I cringed at the thought. Also, Kakashi could be unpredictable so who knew what he would say.

The meeting went smoothly. We met with Katasuke and he seemed like a nice man. He was a little on the shorter side, but still taller than me, with brown hair and sported rectangle reading glasses. He was extremely enthusiastic and people started to pool into the conference room who were also with him.

Mamo showed professionalism beyond what I could do in the meeting, and if Shikamaru wasn’t such a good speaker, Mamo might’ve stolen the show. Afterwards, we talked to Shikamaru for a bit. I sat on the edge of the table and laughed as they bonded over shogi. Mamo challenged him to a game.

“Don’t tempt me now,” Shikamaru chuckled, his hands in his pockets. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “I have to go. Ugh, what a drag.”

I pouted but then waggled my fingers at Shika. “You better come by my tea shop sometime!”

He shook his head and opened the door, waving his hand in the air. “Maybe, big sis.” He turned and disappeared.

I giggled, leaning back to look at Mamo. He was smiling down at me. “That went well, right?”

I nodded. “Yes! I could even tell Shikamaru was impressed by you.” He came closer and I poked him in the chest. He put his hands on the table behind me and leaned over me, smiling mischievously.

“What about you? Did I impress the one person’s opinion I care about the most?” His lips brushed against mine and I giggled.

“Eh, you could’ve done better,” I teased.

He growled playfully as he swept me up in his arms and kissed my lips. I laughed against them, pulling back my head. “Mamo!”

“Okay, okay!” he said, setting me down. I grinned up at him.

It was moments like this where I got lost into our relationship and forgot I was on a mission. He grabbed my hand. “Come on, beautiful. I am starving.” He winked at me and I blushed.

I let him lead us out of the room and turned left. I was telling him about my new book I was reading when he slowed in his steps. I looked up and my heart picked up speed.

“That’s the Hokage, right?” he said quietly.

“Mmhm!” I said, letting it come out more panicked than I intended. Kakashi wasn’t in full Hokage attire, but wearing his flak jacket where I knew it had his title on the back. He was walking down the corridor with Shikamaru by his side and surprisingly Shizune on his other side. He was looking down at a file and they were talking in turns.

I looked back at the room we just exited. Maybe we had enough time to go back in unnoticed. I squeezed Mamo’s hand and was about to suggest it when I heard my name.

I flinched as I turned to see Shizune smiling widely, her hand up. Kakashi’s head popped up as well, his face content, until he saw Mamoru next to me. His eyes slid down to our joined hands and I instinctively let go of Mamo’s hand. We backed up against the wall.

“Shizune, hi! I didn’t know you would be here,” I said, my voice sounding higher pitched than usual.

Shikamaru gave me a look and even Mamo looked down at me.

“Oh, Lord Hokage here invited me to a particular meeting to help things go smoothly,” Shizune said, and then she glanced at Mamoru. Obvious curiosity took over her features.

Mamo and I bowed respectfully to Kakashi and I felt my cheeks flushed. “Lord Sixth,” I said, but I didn’t meet his eyes.

“Hello,” he said, and then his eyes shifted to Mamo.

“Oh, who’s this fellow?” Shizune asked, looking between us.

I locked my jaw, wanting to die inside. Shikamaru looked so amused. Didn’t they have a damn meeting to get to?

“Shizune, this is Mamoru ... my boyfriend,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “Mamo, this is my good friend Shizune. She was the previous advisor to the Fifth.”

“Oh!” Mamo smiled at her, giving a nod of respect. “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she said, smiling. I guess she had no idea.

“Well, we are off to lunch, so!” I said, laughing nervously. “Good luck at your meeting!”

Mamo made a face at me, smiling. He seemed confused. “Yeah ... good luck.”

They nodded and I turned, swallowing. I felt Kakashi’s eyes on us. I tried to smile. Mamo turned and held out his hand. “Ready, beautiful?”

“Yeah,” I said, feeling his warm hand in mine. We started to walk away and I heard the others start to walk down the corridor again. I breathed a sigh of relief when they left.

All of a sudden, Mamoru jerked me to the right. “Oh, hey!” I looked up at Mamoru and a genuine smile spread on his face. He looked down at me. “Beautiful, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

That’s when I raised my eyes and I got my first good look at the man named Zaheer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I couldn't resist. I have been re-watching all of the Avatar series, and I stole the name Zaheer from Legend of Korra. His name just SCREAMS villain, so I wanted to adopt it.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know your thoughts as always! <3 Things will definitely pick up next chapter (;


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lord Sixth is NOT happy . . .

* * *

I tried to keep my face neutral as I assessed the man in front of me.

He was tall and thin, wearing an elegant deep blue robe that was floor-length. He had his hands behind his back when he turned at Mamo’s voice.

He stared at me and I started to feel uncomfortable. He looked amused as I squeezed Mamo’s hand, wanting to hide behind his figure. For some reason, this guy was giving me the creeps.

“Lord Zaheer, I want to introduce you to my girlfriend,” Mamoru said. He exchanged our names to each other, and Zaheer smiled politely at me. I tried to do the same.

This was Lord Zaheer? No wonder Kakashi told me to keep an eye on him. Mamoru and him started to converse, asking how were the meetings and all that. I glanced at him to try to see anything suspicious, but I couldn’t find anything. It was this gut feeling I just got. He eventually said goodbye, and I nodded at him as he addressed me.

After he slipped away, I turned to Mamo. I shuddered. “That guy is creepy. He’s your boss?”

Something shifted in Mamo’s eyes, his eyebrows furrowed. “Not really. I just ... really respect him.” He hesitated before he said something else. “He’s been really helping me through some stuff since the war.”

I tried not to react and I knew I had to talk to him about it. To put it gently, so I could bring it up later, I said, “So kind of like a mentor? Or an uncle?”

Mamo’s face brightened. “Yeah! Kind of like that. A mentor.”

I gave a tight smile, and then we started to walk again. I looked over my shoulder and saw Zaheer again, standing and talking to someone else. His eyes slowly turned towards me and grinned, sending shivers down my spine.

♦♦♦

We went to eat lunch eventually. It was nice and I felt remorse at the idea that Mamoru had to leave Sunday morning. Later that night, I half-expected Kakashi to already be in my home, but he wasn’t. He never brought up what happened earlier once after either. I sighed of relief.

I was stuck at home the next day. Mamoru was doing stuff with Zaheer that was business related, and I invited him to my place on Saturday night. I hoped we would be able to have a nice night together before he left.

I couldn’t handle it anymore.

The sexual frustration was rising in me and I cursed myself for ever accepting to go back to the force. So naturally, as his girlfriend, _of course_ I would invite him over.

Saturday night finally came, and we drank and got tipsy. He was so sweet and endearing and _just_ _there_. I marveled at his big muscles and wide shoulders. He towered over me and picked me up with ease. It had been a while since we’d been together so it was only understanding that we were eager.

I straddled over him as he sat on the couch. I grabbed his face and kissed him. He was just as impatient as me. I kissed down his neck and he groaned into my ear, his hips lifting up to meet mine. I whispered out a moan as he stood up, carrying me with him. We went to my bedroom where he threw me on the bed.

He grabbed my hips and then grabbed the hem of my pants before pulling them down. I helped him and then reached up to help him undo his pants.

My face was flushed and I was practically begging for it at that point.

Then.

A knock.

Two knocks.

Three rapid knocks.

I sat up on my knees, grabbing Mamo’s face and brought him back down as he hesitated. “They’ll go away,” I said in between kisses.

“I don’t know ...” he murmured against my lips as the knocking insisted.

My face flickered with annoyance but I tried to ignore the intrusion, my hands exploring his chest as my hands went under his shirt. I gave several kisses as I went down further. His hands went in my hair instinctively, but then he grabbed my face and stopped me, sobering up.

The knocking turned to pounding.

“I don’t think they’re leaving.”

I groaned and got up, tossing on some pajama shorts.

I let him cool down in my room as I ran to the door, my anger seeping out. “I’m coming!” I went up to the door and flung it open.

A tired Yamato stood before me, sighing. His voice was low, only for me. “He said your target needs to leave.”

My eyes widened. “What?” I hissed.

Yamato leaned against the doorframe, stifling a yawn. Then he pointed in the general direction of my bedroom. “Him. Out. Hokage’s orders.”

It took all of my energy to not let out a frustrated scream.

Just then, Mamoru came out of the room, ruffling a hand through his hair. He noticed Yamato at the door. “Oh! Hey ...”

“Yamato,” Yamato reminded him, giving a nod.

“Right. Sorry, a little buzzed still.” Mamo chuckled and then glanced at me. “I think I’m going to head out.”

“No,” I said, my voice dripping with disappointment.

Mamoru came towards me and glanced at Yamato. “I’m assuming this is business related?”

“At night?” I practically seethed.

“An emergency of some sort,” Yamato said, shrugging.

I let out a dissatisfied noise.

Mamo chuckled and then swept me off my feet as he kissed me on the mouth, unabashed of an audience. I clung to him, kissing him back. “I’ll see you soon, okay, beautiful?”

I nodded mutely as he left when Yamato stepped aside for him. He watched Mamoru leave and then turned back to me. “My assignment here is done. Good luck.”

“Uh, what?” I said, confused by his words.

He closed the door for me.

Good luck on what?

I looked around the living room and saw nothing. I relaxed and then let out a sigh. I was so, so close ...! I let out a groan as I put a hand to my forehead, going back into my room. I should look for a matching shirt.

I switched out shirts before I noticed it. The sudden shift in the air, the small noise indicating someone was here, the fury that rolled in like smoke.

I turned slowly, seeing Kakashi leaning against the wall, a foot propped behind him and his arms crossed. My eyes practically bugged out. How long was he there?

“Lord Si—”

“ _Don’t_.” His voice was clipped, angry, low.

I swallowed and took a step back, hitting my back against the dresser.

I felt his eyes on me, his mask lowered so I could see the clear frown on his face.

My heart was beating out of my chest. I didn’t think I would have to face his wrath tonight. The moon spilled in from the window and I saw shadows dance as an owl flew by. Kakashi hadn’t moved and I tried not to breathe.

I was well aware that my anger was subdued inside me, fear rising slightly above that.

He walked over in strides and leaned over me, his cool eyes looking down at me.

I looked away, unable to handle his snowstorm tonight. “Look at me.”

My lips pursed and I didn’t budge. He said my name, a warning tone in it. “Look. At. Me.”

“ _No_.”

He caught my chin between his forefinger and thumb. Gently, he tilted my head up, his eyes boring into mine. I gritted my teeth.

“I thought I made it clear that you’re not to sleep with him anymore,” he said, his tone even.

“I never agreed to that,” I hissed. “He’s my boyfriend. Don’t you think it would be weird if I don’t have sex with him?”

His eyes winced at the last part, but he didn’t back down. “You are supposed to obey my orders.”

“No!” I said. He didn’t let go of me. “That’s not fair! Do you realize how frustrated I am—”

He came closer, his lips brushing against mine, but his anger didn’t diminish. “Am I going to have to remind you who owns you?”

“I—”

He grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him, his head dipping to connect his lips to my neck. I let out a gasp and felt his slow kisses. When he found my sweet spot, my knees buckled underneath me and I could no longer hold back the moan I was holding.

His hands went around my waist and pulled me up. His lips went further down to my exposed collarbone.

I felt dizzy as I tried to lean back, my hands on his chest. “K-Kakashi ... wait ...”

His lips were against mine. “I’m done waiting.”

Then he kissed me with so much force, I thought I was going to fall over. He picked me up and put me on the edge of my bed. He kneeled between my legs and grabbed the hem of my shorts. He pulled them down quickly, and sobering up, I tried to close my legs but he caught my knees, giving me a warning look.

My lips released a quiet whine as he kissed down one of my thighs and put a leg over his shoulder. His fingers traveled up my naked thighs to grab the hem of my panties next. As he slid them down, I squirmed, letting out small noises. He tossed them aside and put my leg over his shoulder again.

My eyes rolled back in ecstasy as his tongue connected with my clit. I let out a loud moan and the more he pleased me, the louder I got.

I fell back on my bed, panting, and reaching down to desperately shove my fingers in his soft, silver hair. My face burned as I saw him watching me, and I let my head fall back again, focusing on the pleasure he was giving me. My back arched and my legs trembled as I came close.

I screamed out his name as I came. I couldn’t move and he slowly went up my body, kissing my neck. Feeling his hot breath against my skin, I trembled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Then, he vanished.

I whimpered, rolling to my side, still reeling over the events. I felt partially satisfied, but I wanted more.

I _needed_ more.

♦♦♦

The next day, I woke up feeling confused. I didn’t know what to do.

I was still reeling from Kakashi’s actions last night. I turned in my bed and laid on my back, staring at the ceiling.

What started with Mamoru was real. When I took that assignment, I didn’t know if that took away my true feelings. Could I consider last night as cheating? I reveled in it. I was still thinking about it right now. I don’t even remember what Mamoru’s kisses felt like last night.

I closed my eyes. If Mamoru really was the bad guy then it didn’t matter if last night was cheating or not. But even if he’s good, Kakashi didn’t seem to care.

I fell back into the memory of him before he broke things off with me. He was so sweet and understanding. Of course, he was protective back then too, but things got worse after I was nearly killed on an A-rank mission when we went after the Akatsuki. Then he changed. He became more distant, and I could tell he was so conflicted. His nightmares came back. He would whimper out Obito and Rin’s names in his sleep. Finally, he told me he couldn’t be in a relationship anymore. He was losing himself and he didn’t know how to handle it but that he needed to do it alone.

I was being pushed away, and I refused. I knew him. I couldn’t let him do this to himself. It was like he was so used to being alone that he didn’t know how to be with another human being.

When he started to see other women, I finally got the message. Guy would tell me it meant nothing and to only further push me away, but I didn’t want to hear it. Guy would plead so much to give Kakashi time. But it was too painful to even think about, even if it was to push me away.

It had worked.

After the war, it worsened. He changed. Finding out Obito was alive took a toll on him. Even more when he briefly got his friend back and then he sacrificed himself. I wasn’t there, but Sakura told me about it. Even if he didn’t outright say it, I knew losing the Sharingan was a huge loss too. I tried to reach out but he shrugged me off. When I heard he was trying to tell Tsunade what to do with me, it confused me even more.

It had been a year then and I didn’t understand his reasonings. Maybe there wasn’t any. Now with him in power, he really had me at his mercy.

Maybe that’s why his attitude had changed. Back then, he had no control, no way to protect me fully. Now that he was Hokage, he had a whole lot of assets to assist him with what he wanted to do with me. But that wasn’t right.

I knew that wasn’t right and yet I still swooned at his touches and kisses. Why did he put me on this assignment if it only was going to make him angry? I really tried to come up with some theories. Was it because the opportunity was too good to pass for me? If it was any other mission, I would have declined. He wouldn’t put me on a higher rank mission that risked my life. No.

This was a higher rank mission that was almost risk-free as I was just gathering information. I didn’t leave the village so he could keep an eye on me. I didn’t _do_ anything dangerous on this high rank mission. That’s why he put me on it. That _had_ to be it!

To keep me in check and to get close to me again. It was the perfect chance for him to get me to come back while he didn’t have to worry about my safety.

Why didn’t I realize it before? It was too late. I was already in too deep.

And it was crystal clear, even to him, that I was still hopelessly in love with Kakashi Hatake.

When I got ready that morning, I took my time. I was nervous. Maybe even excited? Coming to terms with my feelings made me confused and understand things better. The stupidest of things—it made no fucking sense. I put on a sundress and let my hair loose around my shoulders.

As I made my way to the Hokage Tower, I smoothed down my hair. I walked up the stairs and Shikamaru was apparently waiting. The lazy smirk placed on his lips. “Morning, early bird.”

I waved dismissively at him. “I’m only here because I have to be.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. He looked down at his clipboard before writing something down. “Go on in. He’s been waiting.”

I gave a nod. “Thanks, Shika.” With a nervous deep breath, I opened the door and closed it gently behind me.

He was sitting in his chair, his feet propped on the desk, looking out at one of the windows. He had a pen in his hand that he twirled around. Maybe he assumed it was Shikamaru again, but when he looked over, his eyebrows slightly raised. He put his feet down. “Oh, hey.”

“Good morning, Lord Sixth,” I said, smoothing down my dress. I walked on over and sat down in front of his desk. I put some of my hair behind my ear.

I could see a grin form behind his mask. “Mm, it always sounds good coming out of your mouth when you call me that.”

My eyes widened slightly and I could feel heat coming into my cheeks. I ducked my head as I heard him chuckle. “Okay. Down to business. Extract any intel last night?”

I tightened my fists in my lap and tried to think. “Um ...” I tried to grasp on anything that Mamo might have let slip but nothing came to mind. “I don’t think so.” I raised my head slightly. “We were kind of interrupted before I could get anything.” I shrugged and tried not to look embarrassed. “Some people become extremely open during pillow talk.” I gave him a cheeky smile.

His eyes narrowed. “Yeah, not happening. We should try to think of another way.”

I slightly pouted and he rolled his eyes. He put his chin on top of his clasped hands, leaning in on his elbows. “Do you know when you’re seeing him next?”

I shook my head. “I told you, we were rudely interrupted! He just told me soon. I know he was supposed to leave the village this morning.” He nodded, already knowing that.

“Okay. I might schedule you down for a meeting with Shikamaru about how to get more intel _without_ physical activity.” I scowled at his response. He didn’t notice.

“But what if he comments on our lack of ... physical intimacy?” I said, sitting back and crossing my arms. I bit my lip. He had briefly mentioned how much he missed me last night.

Kakashi shrugged, writing down something in front of him. “Then deflect.”

I let out a groan. “Kakashi, do you know how hard it is to avoid someone’s advances for so long?”

Kakashi stopped writing and looked up. “Is he pressuring you?” There was something dangerous underneath his tone.

I blinked, shaking my head quickly. “No! God, no. I would take care of that myself if that were so. But it’s just ...”

Kakashi went back to writing again, and I looked out the window. “Don’t worry. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

I sighed, crossing my arms. “Okay then. Anything else, sir?”

I didn’t say it sarcastically. I was still looking out the window and realized his scribbling came to a halt. I glanced at him and he was smiling at me. “Yes. What plans do you have for dinner next Friday?”

“Uh, nothing?”

“Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I'm so nervous posting this chapter!! Please let me know your thoughts! It always makes my day when I see comments. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mamoru opens up to OC, and Shikamaru pisses off OC.

* * *

“Remember, don’t go easy on me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, lover boy,” I said, grinning at Mamo. I flexed my fingers in my fingerless gloves—the ones that Tenten made especially for me years ago. I closed my fingers and tapped on the metal where it covered my entire palm.

I ran towards Mamo and did a back hand spring, floating above him for a bit, before I activated my jutsu. He pivoted, avoiding my light touch. I landed in a crouch, giggling. He took out his dual broadswords. “Getting sloppy already, beautiful?”

“Just warming up, baby,” I said, winking at him. I got up and quietly chanted my jutsu to myself. Electricity blossomed into my palms, and I spread my fingers seeing a line of electricity shimmer between them.

Mamo did the same. “Lightning Style: Twin Bolt Blades!” Suddenly, lightning rolled up around his swords as he put them in front of him, a line of electricity bouncing between his swords, connecting them.

Our specialties were the same. I grinned at him again. “Let’s see who can tase the other first.” I started to run and I jumped, my air time always being the longest from anyone in our village. He pivoted again, but pointed his swords upwards. I grabbed onto them, and his eyes widened, as I landed, his swords slipping out of his hands. I laughed as he looked at me stunned. I dropped the blades. “That won’t work on me. Our electric currents run the same.” I flexed my fingers again. “And Tenten’s work keeps the blades from cutting me.” I gave him a smug look and he scowled for a second before breaking into a wide smile.

“All right, you got my swords, but I still got my jutsu.”

Suddenly, we were becoming in sync. I kept trying to catch him off guard, and he would throw bolts of lightning at me. I would twist in the air, avoiding his hits. I would try to shoot a bullet of lightning at him through my fingers, but he would cancel them out with his broadswords when he got them back. I felt like we were doing some sort of dance as we kept avoiding each other’s lightning jutsu. We would get hits in every now and then, but neither of us got tased.

We stood there, panting and sweat dripping off our foreheads, trying to find a way to get to each other. When I finally pounced on him and brought my palm to his face, I stopped as he looked terrified. I laughed before I jumped off him. “Like I would ruin your beautiful face,” I said.

I collapsed on the grass as he did the same. “Okay, you win.”

I squealed, clapping my hands. “Two out of two, loser!”

“All right, all right,” he chuckled.

“And I thought you were supposed to be one of the best in your village,” I said, turning my head to look at him. I saw a tiny blush spread on his face and he turned his face so he was looking up at the sky.

“I am!”

I giggled, looking back up at the sky, admiring the hues of purple, orange, and blue melting together as the sun was setting. “I’m teasing, Mamo.”

“I know that!” he said, and I turned to him, smiling. We laid there, catching our breaths. It felt so amazing to let out my energy and stress. I loved training and sometimes I wished I had more time to be able to do it. Mamoru wrapped his hand around mine and I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze caress my skin as I cooled down.

Eventually, we got up to sit over by a tree so we could drink our waters that we left by there.

We sat there against the tree, watching the sun set. I felt so relaxed and my muscles felt good. The good kind of hurt.

The peaceful silence was broken by Mamo’s soft voice. “You know, I was talking to Lord Zaheer the other day when he said something odd.” Mamo had one leg stretched out and one leg bent. He rested his wrist on top of the knee that was raised.

I put my arms around my legs, hugging them to my chest. “Mm?” My ears pricked at the name and I tried not to look too keen for him to continue. I couldn’t believe my luck that he was the one that was bringing it up first.

I felt Mamo hesitate briefly and I turned to look at him. “It’s just ... the things he said about my uncle. Like ... like he _hated_ him.” I waited for him to continue. Mamo shook his head, looking down. “I know they don’t get along, but I thought since my uncle’s the Raikage, he respected him. But we argued the other week and he just talked as if he wanted the Raikage to die.”

My eyebrows drew up in concern. “Mamo,” I said softly. “Is this the first time he’s said something like this?”

Mamo thought and looked down. He seemed torn. But then he murmured, “No, it’s not the first time.”

“But you see him as a mentor, right?” I asked delicately.

He nodded, and then gave a sad smile. “He helped me a lot after the war. I never told you this, but ... I had a long-time girlfriend years ago. She ...” Mamoru swallowed and looked up at the sunset. I noticed the way his muscles tensed in his face, the sun giving him a glow. I reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it.

“It’s okay, take your time.”

Mamo swallowed, still not looking at me. His voice was quiet. “She died in the war. I couldn’t save her.”

“Mamo, I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling my heart squeeze. My mind briefly flashed to when I saw Kakashi take his last breath when Pain attacked our village.

Mamoru looked at me, his eyes a little glassy. He let out a nervous laugh. “I just ... I never blamed my uncle. But when the other shinobi started talking and then Lord Zaheer talked to me ... I did ended up feeling betrayed somehow.” His eyes dropped to our joined hands. “Like maybe if my uncle had fought alongside us, she would still be here. You know?”

I tried to keep my emotions in check. Mamo’s face looked so conflicted. “Do you think ... do you think Lord Zaheer is right?”

I leaned towards him, placing a gentle hand on the side of his face. “Mamo.” He looked at me. “I don’t think it’s your uncle’s fault or your own fault, and I think you know this deep inside. I’m so sorry you lost her, but nothing will change no matter how much you think about it. I don’t want to overstep here, so please stop me if I do, okay?” He nodded. “I don’t think she would be pleased to hear how people are saying her passing was at fault by someone else. She was a shinobi, and I’m willing to bet a strong one at that. She must’ve knew the risks coming into this field like we all do. She helped fight alongside _all_ of us. Her death was not in vain. No one’s death was in vain during that war. Because of their sacrifices, we are here today. We are free to be whatever we want to be. I would hate for you to be stuck in a dark place when I feel like, maybe, she would want you to bask in the peace we achieved today.”

I offered a gentle smile, my thumb caressing his cheek. He smiled back and then brought me close, kissing my lips. “I think you’re right. She would’ve wanted me to enjoy the peace.”

He pulled back and looked out at the sunset. I let him sit in his thoughts as I rested my head on his shoulders. I gripped onto his hand tightly, willing my tears to stay in place.

A sudden thought struck me. What the hell was I doing? The more I dug deeper into this mission, the more I discovered my feelings for Mamo strengthened. On top of that, I was starting to feel like maybe the Raikage was suspecting the wrong person this whole time.

I had to talk to Kakashi and Shikamaru about this. Maybe it’s not just Mamoru. Maybe there’s more to this than we thought. We still don’t know if Mamoru was the one behind stealing the fan—a crime that could end a life. But I know one thing for sure is that there’s a snake whispering in people’s ear about the Raikage. And I was willing to bet my life it was Zaheer.

♦♦♦

I paced in front of Shikamaru’s office, waiting for him.

I was biting on my thumbnail, trying to think of how I was going to approach this. My suspicions were growing and it was just a gut feeling, but I had to voice it in some way. I couldn’t bring this to Kakashi just yet. It didn’t matter that he was Hokage. Objectively, this kind of conspiracy theory had to come with some sort of evidence before I could approach him with it.

I let air fill my cheeks, puffing them up, before I let out the breath.

“Sis?”

I looked up to see Shikamaru, his eyebrows drawing in. “Shikamaru!” I said, clenching my fists. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Yeah, sure,” he said and then went to open his office. We stepped inside and I closed the door behind us. He went over to his desk, setting a pile of papers there. He looked up at me. “What’s going on?”

I went over to his desk, feeling nervous for some reason. “It’s about the mission. And Mamoru.”

After I went over the details about my last talk with Mamo, Shikamaru stopped me. “Why aren’t you reporting this to Kakashi-sensei? This is clearly a mission report.”

I shook my head. “Shikamaru … I just … don’t you think this is weird? This Zaheer guy is suspicious as well, don’t you think?”

Shikamaru mulled it over. “But he has an alibi the night of the fan being stolen. That’s what this mission is really about.”

“But didn’t you hear me when I said that Mamo told me how Zaheer talked as if he wanted the Raikage to die?”

Shikamaru stared at me and then took a deep breath. He said my name gently. “I understand where you’re coming from, and it is worth looking into this Zaheer guy. Sasuke himself has been keeping an eye on him and nothing suspicious has come out, but … maybe you’re trying to see something that’s not there.”

I blinked at him. “Excuse me?”

“There’s nothing really pointing towards him except maybe he’s just as upset with the Raikage as those other shinobi you mentioned. People talk badly about their Kage sometimes. The Kage can never please everyone.” He looked down and started to shuffle papers around. It looked like he was searching for something, his brow furrowing. “But let me look into it some more, okay? Like I said, you have some reason to be suspicious, but your goal is to find out if Mamoru really stole the fan and _what for_. No one knows a damn reason why anyone would want it except for its powers. But you would have to have a tremendous amount of chakra like Naruto to even try to use it without dying.”

I felt fury build inside of me. It didn’t seem like he was taking my statement serious even if he kept saying he would look into it. “So you’re _really_ going to look into this?” I pressed, my hands curling into fists.

He looked up at me, an even look on his face. “Yes. That’s what I said I’d do.”

“Shikamaru. I’ve known you for a long time now. Something is bothering you about this. Spill it.”

Shikamaru sighed and I knew he was going to mutter about what a drag this all was, but I didn’t care. “I told Kakashi-sensei it wasn’t a good idea to bring you onto this mission, but it was the first time he didn’t listen to me as his advisor. You were already seeing Mamoru before we brought you onto this, so I felt like there might be some sort of bias you’d have towards him.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Meaning what?” I could already hear the anger in my voice.

“Meaning what you think it means,” Shikamaru said, rolling his eyes. “Come on, sis. You didn’t honestly think I wouldn’t think of this possible scenario. Maybe you’re letting your feelings cloud your judgement on this whole thing. I don’t ever think you would lie and hide anything from us, but giving the information you just gave me, I feel like maybe you’re trying to pin this on someone else so you can keep Mamoru.”

I would have slapped him if it wasn’t for the knock that came at the door. His eyes shifted away from me as he looked towards the door, telling the person to come in. He then turned to me, his eyes softening a bit. “We can talk about this again later, okay? Just keep up the good work.”

It was an intern that opened the door, and I made my leave. I felt angry tears prick my eyes and I felt so infuriated that he would even suggest such a thing. My feelings for Mamoru _clouding_ my judgement? Did Shikamaru really think that low of me? Did he really think I wouldn’t put my village or this mission first before my feelings? Or was he right? Was I just trying to see things that weren’t there?

No. I’m not crazy. I had this gut feeling. Something wasn’t adding up. I had to dig more and find the stupid evidence he wanted.

I ran a hand through my hair and tried to calm down my breathing. I needed to _do_ something. Hit something or scream or _anything_. I rushed down the hallway, turning and bumped into a person. I stumbled back, but they grabbed onto my forearms to steady me.

“Whoa, there, you okay?”

I looked up, bewildered, to see Kakashi standing there. His eyebrows drew in. “Oh, yeah, just fine,” I said hurriedly, and stepped back. I went to go around him, but he grabbed my wrist.

“Hey,” he said, worry clear in his voice. I looked up at him and then I dropped my eyes to floor, not wanting him to see the tears that were still wanting to form. “You sure? What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing, okay?” I said, the edge coming back to my voice. I yanked my wrist from him and turned around. Before he could say anything there was another person coming our way, calling out for him.

I took that opportunity to rush away. I felt frazzled, my fingertips feeling static. I needed to get the fuck out of here.

♦♦♦

Later, I went back to the tea shop. I had my lanyard in my hands, messing with the keychain that looked like Pakkun that Kakashi gave me years ago.

I helped Hana close up and I counted the money before deciding to lock up. I exited out of the back when Kakashi appeared before me. I blinked.

“Hey,” I said, surprise clear in my tone.

He shrugged. “Sorry, I can’t really be here. Shikamaru is adamant I be there for some paperwork and getting ready for this Friday.”

I laughed quietly. “Does he know you snuck out a clone?”

“Not to my knowledge, no,” he said.

I sighed as I walked past him in the alley. He caught up to me, hands in his pockets. “So, mind telling me what was up earlier? You really had me worried there.”

I smirked. “Oh? You gonna beat up whoever upset me?” I teased.

He looked over at me, a serious look in his eye. “If you need me to.”

I laughed, reaching out to grab his arm. “No, no, Lord Sixth. It’s good.”

Kakashi frowned as we stepped out into the street, only streetlights lighting our way. “ _Did_ someone upset you at the Hokage Tower?”

I thought back to what Shikamaru said, but I didn’t want to get him in trouble. I needed to talk to him alone about it. It was clear that Shikamaru hadn’t said anything to Kakashi or else he would’ve told me about it by now. I glanced over at Kakashi, smiling slightly. “It’s really nothing, Lord Sixth.”

He let out a loud sigh and I giggled. “Fine, if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ve just never seen you that upset in so long, so I wanted to check up on you.” We turned a corner and I was glad we hadn’t passed by anyone yet. I was taking the more desolate road for a reason.

I felt an odd sense of warmth thinking of him being worried about me. It was cute. I tilted my head at him. “Maybe another day, okay? I just want to get home and sleep.”

Kakashi nodded. “Fair enough.”

“I’m sorry though. I shouldn’t have been short with you earlier. You were only being kind,” I said, biting my lip. I did feel bad about how I snapped at him.

“Don’t worry about it.” We approached my house and he walked me up to my door. I turned to look up at him, smiling. “Still on for dinner Friday night?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes. I will be there.” I paused, suddenly wondering what the hell I was supposed to wear. “Uh … so what’s the attire?”

Kakashi chuckled and put some hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry about that. I will take care of it.”

I gave him an incredulous look. “Okay.”

He suddenly leaned closer, making me press my back against the door. My eyes slightly widened as he put a hand beside one side of my head against the door. “Want me to come inside and help you into bed?” A predatory smile spread underneath his mask.

I laughed, pushing a hand against his chest. “Settle down, boy. I am not going to mess around with a clone.”

He pulled back, clutching his chest dramatically. “You wound me, woman.” He chuckled when I snorted out a laugh, covering my mouth.

“Goodnight, Lord Sixth.” I smiled as I turned to unlock my door. I entered and turned back around, and he smiled back. I closed the door, feeling slightly better. But my mind reeled back to Mamoru and Shikamaru, and I was suddenly anxious about how I was supposed to navigate through this mess.

And with a classic Shikamaru sigh, I muttered, “What a drag …”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter!! I am nervous about the way this story is going in terms of how you guys will react to it haha. I have basically everything written, but sometimes when I edit/revise, I add in more details or more scenes. This chapter was one where I added more to it so I'm glad I waited till last minute to post it.
> 
> Again, I know I am terrible at writing action scenes so any advise/constructive criticism would be helpful! :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!! I appreciate everyone's comments so much, they make my day <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the Raikage is here, and OC hopes Kakashi can behave himself ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look up "Do It For Me" by Rosenfeld if you want the full experience of this chapter.

* * *

Friday was approaching fast and I tried to settle my nerves by going over every detail of this mission.

We were having a business dinner with the Raikage, updating him on this A-ranked mission.

I also secretly thought the Raikage wanted to size me up—see who was the one that was unveiling all his nephew’s secrets.

It was supposed to be set in a fancy restaurant to seem like a casual meeting in a private room. We didn’t want anyone involved in this mission to be suspicious about why the Raikage and the Hokage were meeting up, and they came up with a cover story about business trading. I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to fit in this cover up, but I assumed Mamoru would never find out.

A few hours before dinner, Yamato had presented me a box at home. I furrowed my eyebrows as I took it and then he disappeared. I opened it and widened my eyes. There was a matching hair piece to the gorgeous dress. It was floor-length. A class black dress with a long slit opening on the right side. The neckline was dotted with diamond studs and it was held up by two spaghetti straps.

Kakashi wanted me to wear this? Well, I guess I would be imposing as an important guest. A was note attached to it. It said to wear the black heels I had, the ones he liked.

My stomach tightened and I felt those same butterflies. So commanding as ever.

I took a deep breath.

Confusion washed over me in the shower as I realized that I ... liked it.

Him controlling me. In every aspect except my career. I bit my lip. Maybe I needed to talk to him about it.

I got ready and curled my hair. I pulled half of it back with the hair piece and framed my curls around my face. I did my makeup and decided on a nude lipstick as I didn’t want to stand out too much. I finished it off with a lip gloss.

I put the dress over my body and marveled at how perfect it fit. I put on my heels and looked in the mirror. I was nervous for some reason.

The slit of the dress only exposed my naked thigh when I walked.

A knock came to the door and I went to it. It was Yamato again to escort me to the restaurant.

At the restaurant, I saw Kakashi in the entrance in full Hokage attire. He was greeting the Raikage who was also in his attire. I saw his assistant next to him, also in a formal dress. Her hair was pinned up, fancy earrings dangling from her ears. I wondered why Shikamaru hadn’t come, but I was grateful since I didn’t feel like facing him so soon anyway.

I swallowed and thanked Yamato as he handed me off to Kakashi, who looked me over once before he winked. The butterflies came again.

Everyone greeted each other and we sat down. Kakashi sat on my right and the Kages took off their hats as people took them away to place them carefully on a table at the end of the room. This was the first time I faced the Raikage face-to-face. He was a huge man, his blonde hair slicked back. He seemed to have a permanent frown on his face with a goatee, but he spoke with politeness that made me feel more at ease. We exchanged pleasantries and then dinner was served shortly after.

I glanced over at Kakashi every now and then. Ever since he established I was still his, Kakashi has become pretty forward with me and that made me tense. He knew he can fluster me within seconds and I felt like that was what brought his confidence back. I hated it. I hated it so much as much as I craved it. His attention. I hoped he wouldn’t try anything tonight.

While they talked business about other stuff first, I carefully ate my food. I sipped at my wine politely. The Raikage would ask me a few questions and I would answer with ease, giving him a charming smile. The Raikage once even blushed at my teasing tone and that’s when I felt a hand on my thigh.

I froze for a second as the Raikage praised Kakashi for having “such a lovely woman in his corner.”

“Indeed I do,” he said, smiling behind his mask, his eyes squinting up. He slipped his hand under the slit of my dress and squeezed my thigh. My breath caught in my throat and I felt my cheeks flush pink.

I glanced at him but he didn’t look at me as he had his other hand out and gesturing with it. His thumb drew circles over my skin. I tried to keep my breathing in check, taking another sip of water instead of wine. My mouth had become dry.

Slowly, his hand slid up, inching inwards. I brought my thighs together so he wouldn’t dare. His hand squeezed again. I was beginning to get excited, and I brought my hand down to squeeze his wrist. I was pleading, begging, for him to let go.

He didn’t and gave me a warning glance as he looked at me briefly.

I understood and reluctantly let go as he kept his hand on me, claiming me. And it made me shiver. I gritted my teeth and swallowed, almost hating how he could turn me putty into his hands. Then he turned and smiled at me and I realized they were talking to me.

“Hm?” I drew my eyebrows back, looking at the Raikage. He asked about the mission. I told him as much as I could.

Kakashi’s hand slid down and rested on my knee. I relaxed as I finished and Kakashi continued after me.

Then, dinner was finally over.

The Raikage and Kakashi stood in the room for a good 10 minutes after dinner was over, just catching up. I stood up as the waiters came in and started to clear away plates and cups. I stood back with the Raikage’s assistant and she was a pleasant woman. When they took their leave, Kakashi looked at me. “You did well.”

I gave him a look. “What does that mean?”

He shook his head, chuckling. “Nothing. Come on. I have to go back to the office to drop these off.” He motioned at his hat and Hokage cloak.

The ANBU led us and since it was late in the night, there were hardly any people in the village in the streets. Kakashi dismissed them as we got to the building, but told Yamato to stick around on the first floor to take me home afterwards. I frowned. I had no idea why I was even here in the first place.

I was going to suggest I could leave right now when Kakashi spoke. “Come, I have something for you.” He led us to the newly built elevator in the Hokage Tower. The village was changing more rapidly than I thought. When we got to his floor, we went into his office. He took off his attire and carefully put it away in a wardrobe against the wall by his desk.

I went over to his desk, tinkering with a little figurine that looked like Pakkun. I shifted my weight, already wanting to take off my heels and go to sleep.

Suddenly, I felt two arms snake around my waist from behind and my eyes widened. Lips at my ear, Kakashi said, “I knew I made the right choice by picking this dress for you.”

My back stiffened and I went to turn my head when Kakashi’s fingers spread out over my abdomen. “K-Kakashi ...” I barely whispered, holding onto the edge of his desk.

I felt my hair loosen as Kakashi took out the hair piece he gifted me. He set it down to the side and then turned me around. I looked up at him, my cheeks completely flushed, and my breathing betraying me by showing him how excited I was.

His mask was down and he leaned in, a teasing smile on his lips, inches from my own. “Do you like the dress?” His fingers came down and he hooked one finger into the slit of the dress.

I hated it when he caught me off guard like this. A shinobi is supposed to conceal their true feelings, but he had me undone in seconds. “I ...”

I let out a small squeal as he grabbed my hips and sat me down on his desk. The moon illuminated in from the windows and I saw the glimmer of lust in his eyes. My right thigh poked out of the slit of my dress and I went to cover it when he caught my hand. I looked up at him, a little afraid as I knew I couldn’t hold back much longer. “Lord Sixth, I don’t think we should ...”

Kakashi leaned further down, his hand now slipping under my dress. I let out a hitched breath and reached out to grab his face as he slowly spread my knees apart. His lips were brushing against mine but he hadn’t made a move yet. I was squirming in anticipation as his fingers hitched up my dress so it was easier to spread my legs. “Don’t think we should what?” he whispered.

His fingers brushed against my panties and my hips bucked forward on their own. I bit my lip, wanting it so bad. I had never wanted it so bad before. “We shouldn’t ... shouldn’t ...” I could barely speak as I stared at his lips. I was losing control.

“Shouldn’t ...?” He smiled, brushing my lips, my hands still holding onto his face. He pressed the pad of his fingertip against my clit over my panties.

I let out a moan and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. It was fervent and he reached down to take my panties off. I helped him and was desperately wanting release after all the teasing throughout dinner and just now.

His lips found their way down my neck and kissed my skin softly. He touched me down there and I buried my face in his neck, moaning as I bit into his skin. He flinched and reached up to grab ahold of my hair. He pulled my head back gently and looked at me. I gave him a look, my eyes practically begging him to continue.

His lips pressed firmly against mine as his finger flickered across my clit. I moaned into his mouth, my hands reaching up to bury themselves in his soft hair. My hips moved with his hand and I told him to not stop. I tugged on his hair and he stayed at a steady pace. Just when I was about to cum, he pulled back.

I let out a small cry and he grinned devilishly as me. “No, no, no,” I whimpered.

He grabbed my wrist with his free hand when he saw I was going to touch myself to finish the job. “Look at me.” I did and my face turned hot. “I want you to beg me and say my name.” My whole body was on fire and I felt myself become wetter at his words.

“P-Please, Kakashi. I’m begging you,” I said, my voice breathless. He started to kneel down and I opened my legs wider for him, pulling the dress up further so I can give him easier access. “Please.” Frustrated tears stung my eyes.

His hands slid up my thighs as he looked up at me, never breaking eye contact.

“Who owns you?”

“Y-You ...” I said, looking down at him through half-shut eyes. “You do. I’m yours, I’m yours, I’m yours ...”

He smiled, his lips planting soft kisses up my inner thigh. “You’re mine,” he echoed and then when his tongue touched me, I was gone.

I moaned out loudly as he started to eagerly please me. He inserted a finger into me and his tongue swirled around my little nub. My eyes rolled back and I sat back on my hands, panting. I was so close.

My breathing was coming out higher and I told him that I was close, and he didn’t slow down or go faster. I put a hand on top of his head to keep him there, scared he was going to pull away.

But as I came, I screamed out his name. My legs shook and I felt this rush of pleasure that was beyond what I’ve felt in years. I slumped forward and Kakashi was there, holding me up against his chest as his lips rested on my temple, giving it a kiss. I shivered, closing my eyes.

I had given in.

I was Kakashi’s once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized now the way I worded the ending might be misleading! KAKASHI & OC ARE *NOT* BACK TOGETHER! It’s a little more complicated than that but I realized I fucked up by stating it that way and it does kinda insinuates it! But I will explore that in the next few chapters!
> 
> Ahhh, I know this chapter is super short! But I have another one I'm posting tomorrow or the next day to make up for it. I am editing it so it comes out how I want it to.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, it was one of the first scenes I wrote so I'm nervous about it haha. Rosenfeld's music has inspired soooo many of these scenes hehehehe. I highly recommend to check him out if you ever need inspiration to write!
> 
> Thank you again for reading! <3


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC gets a little advice from Might Guy, remembers her time being in the hospital, and gets drunk to forget everything for once.

* * *

The next day I woke up with dread.

I stayed in way too late, which was unusual of me. I was usually up way before noon. Today, I didn’t get out of bed until 1 pm.

 _What did you do?_ I kept thinking.

I couldn’t face Mamo now. Hell, I didn’t even want to face Kakashi after last night. I didn’t want to see anyone.

I covered my face with my hands. I had to figure my shit out.

I took a deep breath. The mission comes first. But it was developing more than I thought it would pertain.

I had to take my feelings out of the equation and think objectively. I got up and made myself a cup of tea, sitting at the kitchen table to think. Pushing my feelings for Mamo aside, I still believed that Zaheer was planning something sinister.

I thought about Mamo next. He was so sweet, but his actions did seem suspicious. There was no doubt him talking to Tenten was the most suspicious thing thus far, but he didn’t have a clear alibi the night of when the fan went missing. With his last talk to me, there was no doubt he was in the group of shinobi that weren’t happy with the Raikage. Not only that, but he was powerful. He had influence.

If Mamoru wanted, he could lead those shinobi into a full blown rebellion or get enough people behind him to impeach the Raikage. But what the hell was the fan for then?

Then there was Kakashi. There was the issue at hand of him clearly taking advantage of my feelings for him and his position as Hokage. It was all sorts of fucked up that I needed to talk to him about. But would he even listen? I remembered years ago how he wouldn’t want to talk about us right before he broke things off.

I started to feel a stress headache come on and decided to do the one thing that I haven’t done in over a year—the only thing I did with Shikamaru when I wanted to heed advice.

I went to Asuma’s headstone. I found my way to the grave and was relieved to see I was alone so I would have privacy. I told him everything, feeling myself waver every now and then.

When I got to the part with Shikamaru doubting me, I sat down and buried my face in my knees. “Can you believe that? I thought you taught him better than that,” I said, sniffling. I closed my eyes tightly, remembering the way Asuma’s laugh would soothe me, or when he would come around with Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji to cheer me up. “I miss you so much.”

I heard my name, and startled, I looked up too see Guy sitting there in his wheelchair, his bushy eyebrows drawing up in concern. I quickly wiped my face and felt my face flush from embarrassment.

Stupid. Why did I talk out loud?

“Guy, I—”

He gave me a sad smile. “Come on. There are some youthful dango that I’ve been dying to try.”

I got up to my feet and Guy let me push him as we went to the street vendor he mentioned.

After that, he took me to a secluded park and I sat down on a bench where he wheeled himself next to me. He started to eat, chewing thoughtfully. I didn’t touch my dango, leaving them in the bag.

“So. Having trouble with my eternal rival, eh?”

I pursed my lips, ducking my head. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”

Guy’s laugh boomed and I swear birds flew away scared from the tree next to us. He looked over at me, that sad smile spreading on his face again. His voice became surprisingly quiet. “You know, I had never seen Kakashi as distressed than when you were hospitalized for a month after your run in with the Akatsuki.”

I didn’t like to remember that incident. I looked down, cradling the warm bag in my hand.

“Lady Tsunade almost let him go from the force,” Guy said. He took another bite and I looked at him in disbelief.

I never knew that. “But why?”

Guy shrugged. “He never left your side. Refused to go on missions. Naruto and Sakura couldn’t convince him to leave that hospital if they tried even though he hates being there.” Guy put his bare skewer sticks in his bag before crumpling the bag around it.

Guy didn’t seem to notice my silent shock as he kept going.

“Kakashi is a complicated man. I’ve known him since the academy, but he’s never really let me in as much as people may believe. But I do know one thing. He grew up alone. No matter how much I tried to get him to socialize, he ignored my efforts.”

I let out a quiet incredulous laugh.

“I am not trying to excuse him. I really am not. I see you suffering, but I want you to understand something.” He grasped my hand into his large one, squeezing lightly. “He’s never known what true love is. I think the only glimpse he’s ever really seen was between Lord Fourth and his wife.” I looked at Guy but he looked ahead, shaking his head. “And it truly pains me to see him screw up the one thing that could bring him happiness.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way,” I mumbled, looking down at the ground.

“You shouldn’t have to. I’ve tried to reason with him many times. I don’t know what exactly went through his head, but he changed. A lot of trauma there. All of us have gone through some stuff that we don’t like to talk about. But I’ve never agreed with the way he’s handled your relationship, young one.” Guy let go of my hand and rubbed his forehead. “He’s stubborn, I’ll give him that. He became Hokage and everything shifted there. I believe he once told me he now has the ability to truly protect the one he loves.”

He closed his eyes and then turned to look at me. I had never seen this side of Guy before and I was truly stunned into silence. He hesitated but then got a look of determination on his face. “It is my advice that you should talk to him—openly and truthfully. Unless he realizes his mistakes, I honestly believe you deserve better. And that is coming from his eternal friend.”

That night, I laid awake in bed, mulling over Guy’s words.

I closed my eyes. I remembered the way I kept slipping in and out of consciousness that month I almost died. There were several close calls and Lady Tsunade tried her damned best to keep me alive. And her and Sakura did. And I remembered the way Kakashi looked when I finally became stabilized.

It was the first time he broke down in front of me, hugging me and burying his face in my neck as I felt his tears wet my skin. In between sobs, he kept muttering that he wasn’t good for me, that it was his fault.

I didn’t really understand it back then and I didn’t understand it now.

I had told him that it wasn’t and assured him that I didn’t blame him. But he didn't listen. And after that, things went downhill.

One thing was for sure. My suspicions had been right. Kakashi really used his Hokage position to control me—a messed up way to keep me safe in his eyes. I knew he really took the position for Obito as Naruto relayed back to me, but I guess he figured out he could use it to his advantage when it came to me.

If anything, I should talk to Kakashi and tell him that I needed a break from him. Or something of the sort. Maybe I should tell Mamo the same thing, but that couldn’t work since I was still supposed to be on my mission. Shit. I was so fucking confused.

Nothing seemed to help at all. So I turned to the other thing I went to when I needed to clear my head.

Alcohol.

♦♦♦

Tenten laughed as we exited out of the bar, our arms around each other’s shoulders. Lee was right there, looking at us so worriedly.

“Look at him!” I slurred, pointing at him, grinning. “Acting as if he’s never seen us drunk!”

“Oh, I have seen Tenten inebriated before but not _you_. I can walk you home if need be! It will not be a problem!” Lee declared. He was holding Tenten up and she was smiling up at him. She let go of me to throw her arms around his neck.

“My hero,” she said, her eyes looking glossy. She giggled, placing her head on his shoulder as she turned to look at me. He was holding her up, a flush spread across his cheeks. I grinned widely.

“I don’t want to intrude,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

“Oh! Please do not misunderstand! I will make sure Tenten gets home safely and nothing more!” Lee said, looking flustered.

Tenten pouted and reached over to shove my shoulder. I stumbled back and felt a presence there. “Look what you did! Now Lee is all red!”

I giggled as I looked back to see who it was. “Yamato!” I said, standing up. “Are you here to escort me?”

His lips barely curved up into a smile. “I was just passing by, but if you need me to, I certainly can.” He looked back up at Lee where he was struggling to keep Tenten in one place.

“Captain Yamato! How fortunate we have run into you! If you could please escort her, I will happily escort Tenten safely to her apartment!” Lee gave him a pleading look.

Tenten knees buckled beneath her and she fell on her bum. She laughed as her skirt riled up. Lee quickly bent down to pick her back up, muttering under his breath why she wore such outfits out in public. “Because it is quite youthful!” she said loudly, trying to imitate Guy. He picked her up bridal style, sighing.

She pouted but I saw the flush in her cheeks deepen to a redder color.

“I shall bid you both a good night! Tenten is most drunk beyond belief!” Lee gave us a nod before turning and walking away.

Tenten squealed and then threw her head back to look at me over Lee’s arm. “Bye bye!”

I giggled as I waved. I turned back to Yamato and rocked on my heels. “Did Kakashi send you?”

Yamato nodded and delicately placed an arm around me to keep me from stumbling. I sighed wistfully. I made small conversation on the way to my house, but the more I looked at Yamato’s confused face, the more I realized I probably wasn’t making sense to him. After all, he wasn’t drunk too so we were not speaking the same language.

When we approached my house, Yamato made sure I unlocked my door before vanishing. I didn’t even get to say thank you or goodbye. I stumbled in, laughing at myself as I hit my foot on the threshold and fell on the floor. I closed the door with my foot and proceeded to peel off my jacket and heels.

I heard my name and looked up. Kakashi was standing there, a mild expression on his face. My eyes widened a bit as I didn’t believe he was really here. I suddenly felt my chest swell up with happiness. “Kakashi!” I squealed. I scrambled to get up, leaving my jacket and purse on the ground. I ran up to him, hitting his chest and wrapping my arms around his waist. “I didn’t know you would be here!”

Kakashi put his arms around me tentatively as I continued to nuzzle my face in his chest. I giggled.

“Uh ... how drunk are you?”

I let out a scoff, pulling back, and pouting up at him. “I’m not _that_ drunk! I can walk in a straight line! Watch!”

I let go of him and tried to go straight to my room. Kakashi hooked an arm around my waist as I was about to fall against the wall. “Okay. This is the most drunk you’ve ever been. Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m fine!” I scowled as he led the way, looking down at me with worried eyes. I blinked. “Why are you here anyway?”

“I always make sure you get home safe.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “You mean you don’t just come when you’re mad at me?”

Kakashi sighed, brushing some of my hair out of my face. “I call it insurance.”

I giggled. “That’s office talk, I don’t want to talk about that!”

He gave me the cutest incredulous look as he sat me down. I hiccupped as he went over to my dresser, opening the top drawer where I kept all my sleepwear. I reached under my dress to take off my black panty hose, standing for a brief second before sitting back down, and trying to kick them off.

I heard Kakashi sigh again as he set down a pair of my favorite shorts and a t-shirt next to me. He bent down and touched my knee gently to get me to stop kicking. He took off the rest of the tights and I giggled, leaning back on my hands.

“Do you like the view?” I said.

Kakashi froze, my leg still in one of his hands. His eyes roamed up that leg to my face where I felt heat rush into my cheeks. My dress was a little hiked up from me trying to undress myself, and my dress wasn’t unkind to my cleavage as the black dress was V-shaped. It was held up by two spaghetti straps. I bit my lip, liking the look on Kakashi’s face. He looked torn between appreciating what he saw and looking like he got caught with his hand down the cookie jar.

I sat back up, leaning down towards him. “It’s okay,” I whispered, grinning. “I don’t mind if you look.”

Kakashi scowled and then placed my foot back on the floor. “I’m going to leave the room so you can get dressed to go to sleep.”

I let out a harumph. That won’t do. That won’t do at all! I reached out and grabbed his shoulders. Before he knew what was happening, I threw myself at him, making him land on his back on the floor as I straddled him, my dress now shifted up my thighs. His eyes widened and I saw a clear blush spreading across his cheeks. I smiled mischievously.

It was not every day you could catch Kakashi Hatake off guard.

I liked being the one on the other side for once. Caught up in his shock, I took advantage and pulled his mask down to his collarbone. I leaned down, brushing our lips together. “Do you not like what you see?” A teasing smile touched my lips.

His hands instinctively reached up to hold my waist, and I wanted him more than anything. “That’s not it and you know it. You’re drunk.”

“And what about it?” I whispered in his ear and then I trailed my lips down his neck, ducking my head further into him. He smelled so good. I spread my hands across his chest, my tongue touching his hot skin in the dip of his collarbone. His breath hitched and he brought his hands up to grab my face, pulling me back.

I grinned devilishly as I felt him underneath me. He wanted it too. I could see his breathing was becoming more erratic and that made me so excited. I loved that look on his face, like he was trying to find the self-control within himself.

“You’re drunk,” he said firmly. His eyebrows drew in, his jaw clenching.

My face softened and I gently caressed my hands down his chest. “But I’m so wet,” I practically whined.

Suddenly, I was flipped on my back. I let out a small squeak as I tried to figure out what happened. Kakashi was looking down at me, his eyes searching my face. I blinked up at him, my lips parting. This was it. I had him now.

He shook his head, his eyes dimming. He sat back, leaning against the bed frame, putting a hand over his face. “I did not realize you got like this while extremely drunk. When we were together, you never ...”

I sat up, biting my lip. “I never had a reason to drink before,” I said softly.

He looked at me between his fingers. Then, he got up on his feet. He helped pick me up and sat me down on the bed again. He kneeled again, his hand brushing back my hair like before. “You get changed and go to bed, okay?”

I nodded mutely. He leaned in and kissed my forehead. I blushed, smiling. “You still love me, huh?”

Kakashi looked at me with curiosity. “Did you ever really doubt that?”

My eyebrows drew in. “Of course I did. You left me. You made my shinobi career like hell. You’re even a little mean to me now and controlling.” I pouted.

Kakashi blinked at me, the first time I’ve ever seen him surprised. Then something other than surprise creeped on his face and he looked away. I felt like I had messed up somehow and reached out to touch his cheek with my fingertips. “Kashi?” I whispered, referring to the only nickname I ever had for him when we were together.

He looked back up at me, a look that defined nostalgia. “You should sleep now. I’m going to leave, okay?”

I didn’t respond, my hand falling away from his face. I looked down at my hands in my lap, and when I glanced back up, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, folks! I agonized hours and hours on how to start and end this chapter. I revised it so many times, but I am pretty satisfied with it now. I realize Guy might be OOC here since I have NO idea how he would handle being vulnerable with another person if that makes sense. I still tried, thinking over the times he would give advice to Lee or Tenten in fillers from the show.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! We are finally going to start to see the cracks become undone in Kakashi as OC's words will really affect him at the end here. I also wanted to give a glimpse of what happened with OC when she was hospitalized and how Kakashi handled all that. I hope it helped a little, but don't worry. His side on that will be more explored in the future :)
> 
> Thank you for reading and leaving comments!! I feel so grateful to get feedback or thoughts back from you guys. It means everything to me <3


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hungover, OC runs into Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen. Later, Kakashi finds OC to see if they can talk. (Bonus scene at the end of the chapter.)

* * *

When I woke up, my head throbbed.

Shit. I didn’t drink enough water in between drinks so I could avoid the headache. I swung my legs off the bed and tried to stand up, wincing. I needed water.

I pushed my dress on the floor off to the side with my toe for the time being and walked out to the kitchen. I grabbed the glass and turned on the faucet. After gulping down an entire glass, I went for another.

Setting down the glass, I put a hand up to my head. I barely remembered anything. I hadn’t gotten black out drunk since I was in my teens, rebelling against whatever it was I thought I was rebelling. I looked for some painkillers, but to my dismay, I found out I was out. Great.

I wondered if Tenten felt the same. I crawled back in bed, thinking that I should probably try to sleep some more. I closed my eyes and tried to drift back into nothingness.

After the second time waking up that day, I decided it was time to get hangover food. My head was still throbbing and I tried to drink a few glasses of water before I set out to get some good old fashion ramen.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face, trying to wake myself up. I decided to shower when I came back as my stomach and head were killing me. I put my hair up in a messy bun, putting on some leggings and a loose fitting sweater. I grabbed some sunglasses from my room and once I put on some sneakers, I headed out. Even with the sunglasses, the bright sun seemed to pierce my head. I should have gone grocery shopping days ago.

I walked over to Tenten’s shop, hoping she would have painkillers. Her shop was closed and I smirked. So, she had a hangover too. Instead of bothering her, I moved on. I stopped by a pharmacy and bought some medicine. I made my way to Ichiraku’s, my body feeling sluggish.

I ordered my usual, asking it to-go. I just wanted to eat, let the medicine do its thing, and fall back asleep. I asked for a cup of water and Ayame got it for me. She chuckled as I took out the painkillers and popped two in my mouth before downing all the water. I pushed the cup forward.

My shoulders scrunched up as I heard a loud voice. “Big sis!” I barely was tolerating the noises of the shop as it was busier than usual, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle his voice today.

I turned and saw Naruto at a booth. He had his hand up, waving excitedly, that big goofy grin I loved so much plastered on his face. Okay. Maybe I could tolerate it. He had two bowls of ramen stacked next to him and looked like he was working on his third. He waved me over, and that’s when I noticed Kakashi sitting right across from him. I didn’t even have the energy to react.

Ah. That explained why it was busier than usual. The Hokage _and_ the hero of the village visiting the famous ramen shop. Slowly, I slid off the stool and trudged my way there.

I plopped down next to Naruto who had slid over for me. “Whoa, big sis, you okay?” His voice boomed and I cringed.

“Naruto, please, inside voice,” I mumbled, rubbing my temples with my fingertips.

“Oh, sorry,” he whispered before chuckling. “Rough night?”

My forehead hit the table. “I don’t even remember anything and my head is _killing_ me.”

Naruto laughed, and I turned my head to glare at him. But then I remembered my sunglasses and I’m sure he couldn’t see anything but my eyebrows drawing in.

“It’s not usually like you to get that drunk,” I heard Kakashi muse. I let my cheek stay resting on the cool table. Naruto went back to eating his ramen.

“Blame Tenten. She was making me keep up with her.”

“Hey, isn’t this cool? It’s been a while since we’ve all been together! We are just missing Sakura!” Naruto said, his voice loud again with his mouth full.

“Naruto,” I hissed. “I swear if you don’t shut up, I’m going to tase you. And don’t chew with your mouth open!”

Naruto’s eyes bugged out and I heard Kakashi chuckle. “Sorry, big sis,” he said, whispering again.

A server finally came to me with my to-go order. He asked Kakashi and Naruto if they needed anything else and they both shook their heads.

I sat up straight and my stomach growled. Ah, screw it. I’ll just eat here. Maybe my headache will dull a bit. As I opened the bag, I heard Kakashi’s voice. “So you _really_ don’t remember anything from last night?” I glanced up at him, furrowing my eyebrows. There was curiosity in his voice along with a hint of something else, but I couldn’t concentrate enough to be able to figure out what.

“Yeah, I _really_ don’t remember anything,” I said, matching his tone. I carefully took out the bowl and asked Naruto to pass me some chopsticks at the end of the table. He did and I unwrapped them, breaking the two sticks.

As I dug in, Naruto went on about his life, catching me up. I ate, reveling in the amazing tastes. I brought up the bowl to my lips to finish the rest of the broth. Satisfied, I sat back. “Holy shit, that was amazing.”

“Another?” Kakashi asked, pushing his bowl to the side. “My treat.”

I perked up. “Uh, _yeah_ , if you’re buying,” I said, grinning.

“Me too, Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto piped up, and I punched him.

“Inside voice!” I said sternly. But I felt my headache coming to a light throb after I had finished my bowl. The medicine was finally working.

Kakashi laughed quietly and slid out of the booth, going over to order us our food. I stacked my bowl on the third empty bowl of Naruto’s.

Kakashi came back and pretty soon after, they brought our food. Kakashi didn’t have another bowl, but that was typical. I saw he already ate two with Naruto.

It was kind of nice being with the two boys again. I ended up taking off my sunglasses and the light didn’t hurt my eyes as it did earlier. My headache was slowly going away, and I loved hearing Naruto talk. He was talking about his training and how he wanted to come up with a new way to use his Rasengan.

I giggled, hearing him talk about his training sessions with Lee, having Guy on the sidelines yelling at them about eternal youth. I asked about Hinata and I always loved seeing the light on his face when he talked about her, the slight blush afterwards as he giggled himself giddy.

“Ah, thank you so much for that second bowl,” I said to Kakashi, smiling genuinely.

He smiled back, his eyes squinting shut with the action. “My pleasure.”

Afterwards, I said my goodbyes to the boys. Naruto had pulled me into a bear hug and told me to come around more often. Kakashi stood there with his hands in his pockets and agreed with Naruto. I rolled my eyes. “I’m sure as Hokage you barely have time for us little people.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “I’ll always have time for you.”

I blinked and felt a rush of blood heat up my cheeks. Naruto rose an eyebrow. I saw a hint of a mischievous grin starting to form, and before he could speculate anything, I said my goodbyes again and turned around, walking away quickly.

♦♦♦

The next day, Kakashi found me.

I was in my room, reading and trying to relax. I had the window half up, letting the fresh air come into my room. That’s when I heard a tapping sound and I looked up, shocked to see Kakashi there. I waved him in though.

“Yo,” he said, as he crouched down sliding up the rest of the window.

I blinked at him. “Clone?”

He chuckled, jumping into my room. “Clone.”

I sat up, putting the book to the side, and bringing my knees up to my chest. “What’s up?” I bit my lip. It wasn’t like him to come like this anymore.

For some reason, it felt a little foreign now. That was the old Kakashi—the Kakashi I fell in love with.

He ran a hand through his hair. “I came to ask if you wanted to talk. In person.” He seemed almost ... nervous?

I eyed him suspiciously. “Now?”

He shook his head. “No, no. I want the real me to be here when it’s done. When would you have time? I can come over any day after I’m done with work?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning back against the wall.

“Kakashi, is everything okay?” I said, finally standing up. This wasn’t like him. He usually was so confident and full of conviction.

He looked at me. I walked over to him, looking up at him. “Hey,” I said, reaching up to touch his cheek. “You okay?”

His eyes searched mine and then he looked away. “Just fine. So will we be able to talk this week?”

I took back my hand. “Sure,” I said with a shrug. “Did you want to tonight? Or later this week?”

“Later this week,” he said. “I think we’re pulling an all-nighter tonight.” Now that I was closer, I noticed he looked exhausted. More than usual.

“Want me to bring you some food later?” I said, giving a small smile.

He looked at me, almost pained if I wasn’t mistaken. “No, no,” he said, grabbing my hands. I blinked as he brought them to his lips, kissing them over his mask. “You’ve done more than enough. You shouldn’t do anything for me right now.”

Okay ... I was starting to feel weirded out. “Are you sure you’re okay?” I said, starting to feel worried. I felt like I was looking into the past. If I squinted enough, I could imagine this was Kakashi, the Jonin leader of Team 7, the Copycat Ninja with the Sharingan, the man who stole my heart.

He sighed, looking down at me. “ _Yes_. I promise.” He cupped my face in his hands, his eyes roving over my facial features. My cheeks started to grow warm under his stare and in his hands.

“Kakashi?” I said uncertainly.

He let out a breath and pulled me into a hug, squeezing tightly. He murmured something in my hair but I didn’t quite catch it. I froze but then eventually melted in his embrace. I turned my head and rested my cheek on his chest.

His fingers ran down my hair and he kissed the top of my head. “Promise me we will talk this week. Maybe Friday?”

I pulled back, looking up at him. He looked so wrecked and desperate. I wanted to reach into him and take out what was stressing him so much. “Okay,” I said, nodding. “Friday.”

He nodded, smiling. “Okay. Good.”

For some reason, I felt nervous about this talk he wanted to have. Over the next two days, I tried to think of anything that might have possibly transpired this.

Either way, maybe during the talk I could finally address the issues in our relationship and what he wants from it. But first, I had to think of what _I_ wanted.

My relationship with Mamo might have turned from real to fake because of my mission, but my feelings were starting to turn real. And fast. I needed to press pause on everything so I could sort myself out. Thankfully, I wasn’t seeing Mamo for another two weeks, and I’ll take that opportunity to get it together. Then, I could start on my plan on trying to fish out more information on this Zaheer fellow.

* * *

**Bonus Scene**

_**(Sometime before the Raikage dinner.)** _

Shikamaru had told me the Hokage’s office was temporarily moved to another building. They were doing reconstruction in the Hokage Tower and a lot of changes were coming. It was going to take several weeks.

When I walked in the reconstructed Hokage Tower, I wasn’t expecting an unpleasant change.

In the newly built elevator, I chose the floor to the Hokage’s office. When I walked through the huge new floor plan, I felt like I was somewhere different. Then there was a newly built desk before the Hokage’s office. There was a woman sitting behind it, jotting down something on the sheets in front of her. I blinked.

Well, Kakashi did tell me to stop by anytime today so I went straight towards the door.

“Excuse me!” came a sharp voice. I stopped and turned to look at the woman who was sitting at the desk. “Do you have an appointment with Lord Hokage?”

I assessed her, clasping my hands in front of me. She was gorgeous. Her heart-shaped face was framed by wild, tight curls that accentuated her features. Her lips were full and colored red. Her eyes were a deep caramel color and she might have had me mesmerized if I saw her out in the street. Somewhere deep in my belly I felt a strange feeling bubble up.

Kakashi had to greet her every day? Who hired her? Did Kakashi?

“Um, no, but—”

She cut me off. “Then I’m sorry. I cannot let you pass. You have to have an appointment.” Her cold eyes met mine and I pursed my lips into a thin line.

“Well, okay, but he—”

“We can make one for you if you want,” she said, interrupting me again. She shuffled her papers and turned to a computer in front of her. “I’m not allowed to let anyone barge in there, so ...”

I felt my eye twitch. I clenched my jaw but tried to compose myself, glancing at the Hokage’s door. Why wouldn’t she just let me finish my sentences?

“Let’s see ... he has an appointment available in two weeks. Monday morning, 8:30 am. Would that work for you?” She glanced up, her cool eyes on me.

Just when I opened my mouth to let her have it, the door opened and Naruto walked out.

His face brightened when he closed the door behind him. “Big sis!” he exclaimed loudly and the girl at the desk looked at me curiously.

I felt a smug smile quirk on my lips. “Naruto!” I said affectionately, and he walked on over, grinning that goofy smile I loved so much. “How is my favorite person doing?” I went in for a hug and he gave me a tight squeeze.

“Aww, big sis! You flatter me. Oh, hey! Have you met Kakashi-sensei’s new secretary, Nanako? She’s really cool!” He turned towards her, smiling.

“Ah, yes, but not properly introduced.” I smiled at her, nodding my head respectfully. I told her my name.

“Nanako,” she said, a small smile on her lips.

“Yeah,” Naruto said, shoving his hands in his pockets. “We’ll be seeing her a lot now! It’s kind of cool that the Hokage has a secretary, you know?”

“Sure,” I said, and I saw something flicker in her eyes.

“Oh, sorry for keeping you, big sis. Kakashi-sensei told me you would be stopping by. He’s probably waiting for you.” He nodded back at the door.

“Oh, yeah, no worries. He told me to stop by anytime today.” I glanced at Nanako and her eyes widened slightly before she looked down, trying to find a piece of paper. Her lips drew in a thin line and then she stood up.

“My apologies. I didn’t realize you were the important person that was stopping in today.” She gave a slight bow, and I laughed, shaking my head.

“No worries, really!” I smiled, feeling some type of triumph swell my chest. I pinched Naruto’s cheek before I moved past him. “I’ll see you around, Naruto!”

“See ya, big sis!”

I knocked on the door before peeking my head inside. Kakashi looked up and a smile spread across his face, eyes squinting from it.

My heart squeezed as I slipped inside.

That wasn’t the only incident I had with Nanako. I couldn’t deny her beauty. She would smile at me but it always looked forced.

I would catch her talking to Shikamaru and laughing so I knew she could give a genuine smile if she wanted. Just not to me.

One time as I stepped out of the elevator, wanting to talk to Kakashi over lunch, I saw him out there, talking to her.

He was standing by the desk, hands in pockets, his eyes squinting up in a laughing manner. Her chair was turned his way, leaning forward on her elbows. She was smiling up at him, her full lips painted red again.

I felt that feeling again inside me. It seemed to consume me as I watched him place a hand down on her desk, his eyes narrowing playfully at her. She giggled, high pitched, her cheeks flushing. She reached over and tapped his arm, telling him to stop.

My hands clenched tightly around the bag I held. I had brought some of my snacks to him. I knew he didn’t like many sweets so I brought some sandwiches from the tea shop.

I walked closer as other people swerved past me. I saw Shikamaru walking with someone toward the elevator and he gave me a quick smile before turning back to the person. Nanako was giggling again, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. I rolled my eyes. So cliche and obvious.

As I was nearing, I heard a bit of their conversation. They didn’t seem to notice me right away.

“You’re kidding!” she gasped, her face breaking into a wide grin.

“No, no, seriously,” Kakashi said, chuckling, putting a hand up to his masked chin. “I’ll have to show you sometime.”

Her face flushed again, biting her lip. I hated how much it made her look enticing. “I would love to, Lord Hokage.”

I cleared my throat and Kakashi’s head snapped up. His eyes squinted up in that familiar smile and he said my name.

Risking it all, I said, “Hey, Kakashi.” I glanced at Nanako as her smile faltered a bit when I said his name. Relief washed over me when he didn’t correct me. “Remember when you said you wanted me to stop by sometime today? I thought I would come by lunchtime and bring you your _favorite_ snacks.”

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at me, probably realizing I hadn’t called him Lord Sixth for the first time since coming to his office. “Well, yes. I suppose now is a good time.”

I smiled easily. “Perfect.”

I saw Nanako’s lips press into a thin line as she leaned back into her chair. “Um, Lord Hokage? Does that mean I am dismissed for lunch now?” she said, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

I clenched my jaw. Jesus, how is she so breathtaking? I wanted to throw that stupid computer into her face. “Ah, yes, Nana, go ahead.” Kakashi started to move and my eyes widened slightly at the nickname. I saw Nanako stand up, a smirk on her lips as she noticed my face.

I collected myself fast and followed Kakashi into his office. I closed the door behind me and felt that feeling again bubbling up. It spread up towards my body and into my face where I felt the tip of my ears burn.

He turned towards me, a curious glimmer in his eyes. “What was that about?”

“What?” I said as he walked over to his desk. He leaned back against it, folding his arms over his chest and crossing his ankles.

He gave me a look and then nodded towards the door. “That weird interaction.”

I laughed, almost too loudly as I came up towards his desk. I stood next to him, setting down the bag, unrolling the top. “I don’t know what you mean, Lord Sixth.”

I saw him give me a look. “You called me Kakashi and not Lord Sixth out there.”

“I thought you tell everyone to not call you by those titles,” I said casually, sniffing. I opened the bag and felt his gaze.

I glanced up at him. “Sure,” he said. “But I like it coming from you.” I could tell he was smiling devilishly under his mask. Then, “Are you really not going to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong!” I said, throwing my hands up. “I just didn’t realize how close you were to your new secretary.” I couldn’t hide the bite behind my words.

Then I heard Kakashi chuckle. I snapped my head up at him, scowling. His eyes looked amused. “Oh. Jealousy is a good color on you.”

I sputtered, turning red now. “I-I’m not jealous!” I finally hissed out. I glared down at the bag in my hands. I saw him move and he was fast.

He came up behind me, his hands placed on the edge of the desk on either side of me as he loomed over me. I felt his lips caress the outer shell of my ear so I knew he unmasked himself. I shivered, feeling his warmth consume me. “Do you honestly think I have my eyes on anyone but you?”

I let the butterflies swirl in my stomach as he brushed back my hair away from my neck. His lips traveled down, planting soft kisses here and there. “You’re intoxicating,” he breathed, his body pressing up behind me. My skin turned hot and he turned me around fast, looking down at me.

I felt blood rush into my cheeks as his eyes stared into mine. “Then prove it,” I found myself saying, my hands reaching up to press my palms against his chest. I flickered my eyes away from his face.

“Hm?”

I took a deep breath, still not meeting his eyes. “Don’t call her by a nickname again. That establishes closeness and familiarity. And _don’t_ take her to wherever it is you wanted to show her.”

Kakashi let out another chuckle, and I felt it rumble against my hands on his chest. “Are _you_ now giving _me_ orders?”

I bit my lip. “I—”

He tilted my head up with a finger under my chin. His thumb brushed over my lower lip. “It’s cute, but just remember who makes the rules here.” He gave me a smirk.

I scowled. “Kakashi, that’s not fair—”

His lips overcame mine in seconds. I stilled, feeling stunned by his action. He pulled back, pressing his forehead against mine. "Okay. I'll prove it."

The next time I went, I hadn’t come back in two weeks. When I entered the building, I saw Nanako at another desk, typing away. I went to the elevator and went up to the Hokage's floor. When I exited, I noticed a new young man at the secretary desk. I went up to him and before I could open my mouth, he looked up at me.

“Oh, hello there!” he said. Then he stated my name. “Lord Hokage has been waiting for you!”

I blinked but then thanked him as I went to the door, biting back my smile and letting the butterflies flip my stomach ten times over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I hope you guys enjoyed the bonus scene! It was something I had fun writing and thought out of the blue. I figured I would just stick it in as a bonus since I liked the idea of the roles reversed--her being jealous for once!
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts as always! I always appreciate it <3 I can't wait to post more chapters in the next few days!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OC gets a surprise visit and learns more about Zaheer.

* * *

On Thursday evening, I was making dinner.

I had just chopped all the veggies I needed before I scraped them onto the sizzling pan. I was using an old recipe that Kakashi had taught me once before that became one of my favorites.

Then, a knock came onto the door. I looked at the clock, furrowing my eyebrows to who would be coming around dinner time. I briefly thought it would be Kakashi and thought maybe he couldn’t wait till tomorrow to talk. There were a few more knocks, and after stirring the veggies on the skillet, I yelled, “Coming!”

I wiped my hands on a rag and quickly made my way to the front door. I smoothed down my apron, bracing myself. I opened the door to find a huge bouquet of roses in my face. The thing was almost as wide as the doorframe. I laughed in disbelief, but when the bouquet moved slightly and revealed the face of the person holding the flowers, I almost blanched.

“Surprise!”

“Mamo?” I stepped back for him to come in and he grinned down at me.

“Whoa, smells good, you making dinner?” he said.

Suddenly remembering the food, I ran into the kitchen just in time to avoid a burnt dinner. I heard Mamo laugh as he followed me into the kitchen. I threw a glare over my shoulder and then stuck my tongue out.

“All right, beautiful. You got a vase for these?”

“Down in that cupboard over there,” I said, pointing a toe at one to my right. I started to add in the rice to my stir fry. As he filled up the vase with water, I looked over at him.

“I thought you were going to be away on a mission for two weeks.”

His face wavered for a second before he shrugged, turning around to put the flowers in the vase. He left them by the window. “Stuff happened.” He turned towards me again and smiled. “Just can’t seem to stay away from you, beautiful.”

I giggled. I was going to have to find out what happened.

“For how long are you in the village then?” I said, finishing up the food. I turned off the stove and turned around, watching him as he sat at the kitchen table.

His eyebrows furrowed and he messed with the salt and pepper before looking up at me. “Till Sunday morning I suppose.”

I bit my lip, thinking of tomorrow when Kakashi wanted to talk.

Fuck.

 _Okay, don’t panic_ , I told myself. I went to get two plates and served us food. I didn’t ask if he was hungry, but he started to eat right away.

It was nice. It had been a long time since I felt like someone was coming home to me. He left as he was staying over at Chouji and Karui’s place for the weekend instead of an inn. I almost asked him to stay but hesitated.

Flashes of my night with Kakashi blinked into my mind, and the guilt prevented me from asking him. I felt like I needed to tell him, but selfishly, I wanted to find out more about Zaheer before risking him getting angry with me and then my chance to find out more would vanish.

The next morning, I made my way to the Hokage Tower. Riku, the new secretary of Kakashi, told me I could go on in since he didn’t have any meetings at the time. I nodded at him appreciatively, still shocked he knew my name.

I knocked before entering, and I saw Kakashi look up at me. He looked a little surprised, but waved me in. Nervously, I went over and sat in front of him. “Morning,” I said, trying to smile.

He leaned his head in his palm, raising an eyebrow. “Couldn’t wait till tonight to see me?”

I shook my head, giggling nervously. I messed with the hem of my shirt before looking up at him. “So ... Mamoru showed up last night. Unexpectedly.”

Kakashi’s eyebrows flew up a bit, clearly as shocked as I was. “Oh? I thought he was off on a mission.”

“Me too,” I said, shrugging. “Anyway, he said he’s staying until Sunday morning and ...” I struggled to find the right words, my eyebrows drawing in.

Kakashi nodded, moving papers around in front of him. “And it would be a perfect opportunity to see if you can extract any more intel.”

I nodded. “Right. But ...”

Kakashi looked at me and I saw a half-smile form behind his mask. “But our talk will have to be postponed. I understand.”

He did? I blinked at him. “You do?”

“Of course. The mission comes first.”

I studied him a minute longer before I spoke. The way he didn’t make eye contact, the way his shoulders stiffened, and the way his eyebrows struggled to not cave in to a furrow. “We can talk on Sunday night,” I offered quietly.

“Maybe Monday night?” he said, his voice soft.

I nodded. “Yes. For sure.”

He smiled, a real one this time. “Anything else?”

I shook my head. “No. I just wanted to update you on things.” I stood up and turned, but then he said my name.

I spun on my heel and clasped my hands in front of me. “Yes?”

Kakashi took a moment before he looked up at me, almost hesitating. “Ah, well, Yamato informed me that you know he follows you when you’re leaving to and from missions. I asked him to stop, so I wanted to let you know.”

I tried to keep my face neutral, but I felt surprised if anything at all. “Uh ...”

“So there will be no more interruptions if you decide to spend more time with Mamoru.” Kakashi’s face hardened, but I knew he was putting up a wall.

I felt more confused than anything, but I nodded. That was ... nice, I guess? “Thanks for letting me know, Lord Sixth.”

He sighed, grabbing a pen before taking off the cap. “Kakashi is just fine.”

I stared at him a moment longer before I turned. _Okay_ ... “All right then. I’ll see you Monday ... Kakashi.”

I left his office, starting to feel this anxiety creep up into my chest. It was like he was acting completely different ... or not? This was him but from years ago.

I shook my head. I needed to focus on Mamoru for now.

♦♦♦

On Friday, Mamo and I hung out the entire day. I wanted to show him the waterfall that Yamato once made to help train Naruto with his Rasengan. He laughed at my enthusiasm.

We went around shops and bought souvenirs. I took him to the dango shop that Guy showed me. We jumped along the rooftops and I had hoped it was cheering him up.

At the clearing where the waterfall was, we sat back and watched the water. “It’s quite impressive,” he said.

“It is! Goodness, it felt just like yesterday,” I said, shaking my head. “It was amazing though. He made so many shadow clones to try to reduce the amount of training.” I paused. “Oh, but that was Kakashi’s idea though, so I’ll give him credit for that.” I giggled.

“Lord Hokage, right?” Mamo said.

I nodded, feeling shy that I didn’t use his title. “Yeah. I was actually on their team for a bit when Sasuke was away.”

Mamo turned to me and tilted his head. “Oh, I didn’t know you were on the same team with Naruto and the Hokage.”

I nodded, bringing my legs up to my chest. I picked at the grass. “Yeah, since Naruto was a genin. Sakura was there too. She’s the best medic ninja this village has seen since Lady Tsunade.” I felt proud saying that as I was always angry with Kakashi for not truly seeing her potential.

“Lady Tsunade was my sensei before I came back to the village with her. I had left to travel with her and Shizune. Then Master Jiraiya, one of the legendary sannin, came to look for her. So we came back and she became Hokage.” I shrugged. “I was pissed when she dumped me in with Team 7.” I laughed, shaking my head.

“So you’re pretty close with the Hokage then?” Mamo mused.

I blushed and ducked my head, letting my hair hide my face. I thought of the times when Kakashi and I had been intimate and tried to push away those thoughts. I couldn’t let him know that. Not now anyway. “Um, not really. I don’t know. He’s really busy as Hokage and we kind of grew apart years ago.” I tried to keep it as vague as possible.

I felt Mamo’s stare intensify and I picked at more grass. “Beautiful, it’s okay. Tenten slipped up once when drunk and told me you guys used to date.”

My eyes were like saucers when I whipped my head up to look at him. He laughed hard, shaking his head. I felt my face flush and I cursed Tenten. I was going to kill her.

I groaned, hiding my face behind my hands. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t ... it’s different now. He’s ...”

Mamo chuckled and gently took my hands away from his face. He was smiling softly at me and shrugged. “I get it. He’s the Hokage now.”

“Ugh, can we change the subject now?” I said, laughing.

“Okay, okay, I won’t tease you if that’s what you’re afraid of,” he said, smirking.

“Anyway ...” I said dryly. I leaned back on my hands. “Want to tell me what happened with your mission?” Mamoru sighed and I looked over at him. “You don’t have to,” I said softly.

“No, no, it’s okay,” he said, shrugging. “Lord Zaheer and I got into a heated argument again. I was supposed to go with him on this mission but then he left without me.” He scratched his head. “He’s been acting strange lately.”

Trying to keep my face neutral, I took a deep breath. “Strange how?” I said.

Mamo laughed humorlessly, also leaning back on his hands so his posture matched mine. “Keeps talking about my uncle as if he’s ... as if my uncle is going to be gone.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Like ... away from the village?” I tried to sound innocent as I fished for more information.

Mamo shook his head slightly, his lips pursing. “Not sure what to say, beautiful. I would hate to think he ...”

I waited for him to finish but then he turned his head. He heard it first.

The sound of footsteps and voices as they drew closer.

Damn it.

I sat up and turned to see Sakura and Naruto walking down our way. Sakura was laughing and Naruto bumped his shoulder against hers playfully.

“Hey!” Sakura called out, finally seeing us. She waved her hand excitedly.

Naruto did as well but then he noticed Mamoru, almost looking surprised to see him there. We stood up to our feet and I ran to them, bringing them into a hug. Speak of the devils!

“What are you guys doing here?” I said, smiling widely.

“Oh, you know, training,” Naruto said. Mamoru came over to us.

“Hey!” Mamoru smiled and Naruto smiled back, but then he glanced at me.

“Mamo! This is Sakura who I mentioned!” I said, introducing them. “Sakura, this is Mamo, my boyfriend.”

Sakura smiled. “Nice to officially meet you!”

“Likewise. She was just telling me how you’re the best medic ninja in the village since Lady Tsunade.”

Naruto grinned, looking at Sakura who was blushing. “Oh, yeah, believe it! You’re the best, Sakura!”

She gave him a little glare but then her smile returned to her face. “I mean, big sis here was trained under Lady Tsunade as well.”

I laughed. “Yeah, but medical ninjutsu is _not_ my forte.” I rose an eyebrow at her. “And you could probably kick my ass.”

“Yeah, yeah, Sakura!” Naruto said, nodding his head enthusiastically. “You could totally destroy big sis!”

Naruto was in the air before he had a chance to dodge my punch. I felt a vein pop in my forehead. “What did you say?!” I yelled as we watched Naruto tumble onto the ground a few yards from us. He rolled over and groaned.

“You said it first, big sis!” he yelled, getting his hands and knees under him. I saw a scowl and then he got up, rubbing his stomach.

Sakura and Mamoru laughed as I kept yelling at Naruto to be more respectful, and he came back, laughing nervously. “Okay, okay, just don’t tase me!”

“Oh, what a _fantastic_ idea,” I sneered.

Naruto looked scared as Sakura interjected for him to shut up already. I calmed down afterwards, and after a little bit of catching up, Mamoru and I said our goodbyes before we left.

We picked up some takeout before we went back to my house. I was waiting for an opportunity to bring up Zaheer again, but I didn’t get to until later that night.

I was making tea for the both of us when I delicately brought it back up again, picking up where we left off.

“So you and Zaheer got into an argument?” I said carefully. I turned and brought our teas to the kitchen table.

He took his cup in his hands. He looked down and nodded. “Yes, like I said earlier, it just sounded off.” Mamoru paused to take a careful sip and then hesitated before continuing, not meeting my eyes. “There has been ... some talk among a few shinobi, and even villagers, about impeaching my uncle.”

My eyebrows flew up. Oh. “Because of the war?”

Mamoru nodded. I took a sip after blowing off the steam. I set down my cup, thinking. “Mamo, do you agree or disagree?” I asked quietly.

He didn’t look at me, running his finger around the rim of his teacup.

I reached over and placed a hand on his arm. “I won’t judge either way, Mamo. You can tell me if you want. If you don’t, then that’s okay too.”

He raised his eyes to meet mine, and I gave him a soft smile. He nodded, giving back a half-smile. “I do agree with the impeachment.”

I took back my hand, nodding. “I can see that.”

“But,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I have this feeling Lord Zaheer isn’t for that idea anymore. To impeach him, I mean.” My eyebrows drew in, tilting my head. Mamo covered his face with his hands. “I don’t even want to think about it. I can’t think this way.” Mamo pulled his face away from his hands, a scowl taking over his features. “But the way Lord Zaheer talks is just so ... _convincing_.”

So Zaheer was the main voice. I knew it!

Then he looked off into space and murmured, “If you really think about it, most of us didn’t feel this way towards my uncle until after Zaheer talked to us ...”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Mamo, may I say something? And you can cut me off if I cross any lines.”

Mamo gave me a curious look and then nodded. “Sure.”

“Is it fair to assume that Lord Zaheer was the one spreading these type of ideas throughout all the shinobi that are upset with the Raikage?” I peeked at him.

Mamoru took a deep breath, closing his eyes. “That’s a … fair assumption.”

I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see me. “So isn’t that … kind of messed up?” I said, hoping to make my voice as gentle as possible. I didn’t want him to recoil and stop telling me things.

He opened his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to say this is happening, but what if Zaheer has an ulterior motive? I know it’s tough to hear, but it seems like some people just want the blame to fall on _someone_. And what if— _just what if_ —Zaheer is taking advantage of people’s grief to make them think a certain way? You know?” I bit my lip. “It sounds like to me that the people are being misguided.”

I let my words sit with Mamoru for a minute. He took another sip of his tea, looking off into space, a frown slowly appearing on his face. I continued.

“Mamo, I would hate for someone to do something they regret because they think they’re avenging someone or something when in reality they are doing the opposite. Does that make sense?”

He stared at me and then sighed. “I think?” He scratched the back of his head.

I smiled sadly. Then I told him about Sasuke Uchiha. Mamo said he’s heard of him, and how he’s done awful things, but also how the village was slowly, ever so slowly, accepting him. He’s proven many times over he has changed. He was just misguided by the awful Orochimaru and his own hatred, thinking he was avenging something that turned out to almost ruin him.

I spoke to him about Tsunade’s term and how tough it was. And then how Kakashi pardoned Sasuke. Yes, sometimes I would hear people question Kakashi why he did that. And some of the trust between the Hokage and the village was kind of lost there, but it helped relieve a bit of tension with Naruto backing Sasuke up.

“Granted, Sasuke’s situation is extremely severe, but I hope the example still stands.” I leaned back in my chair, taking a small sip of my tea.

“Do you think I would go as far as to hurt my uncle?” Mamo’s quiet voice came. He looked at me, his eyebrows drawing in. His glare was cold.

My eyes widened and I leaned over the table, grabbing his hand. I shook my head vigorously. “Of course not, Mamo! That’s not what I was saying at all!” Idiot! Why did I word it that way? Now he thinks I’m suspicious of him!

“I _meant_ … _if_ , hypothetically, Zaheer is planning something more sinister, then you might be lumped in with him since you work so closely with him. However … I think finding out his true intentions will help a lot. You said yourself he’s acting strange, so I only think it’s appropriate to suspect something. Especially given how you’ve talked about Zaheer and his relationship with the Raikage.”

Mamoru looked at me, his face contorting with pain and confusion. “But what _if_ I found out Lord Zaheer is planning to do something worse? What could even be done? Wouldn’t it be too late?”

I stopped, thinking over his questions. Was he trying to ask for help? Was he insinuating it was true? My gut was telling me he was slowly starting to get it. This was good. This was progress. I grabbed his hand, squeezing it. “Then, hypothetically, he should be stopped. And all the shinobi that followed him and helped him with whatever it was would probably be pardoned or forgiven. That’s why I put Sasuke as an example since it is possible as long as you do what’s best for the village in the end.”

He looked thoughtful and took back his hand, shaking his head. “That’s the thing. The Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud are completely different.” He blinked slowly. “The Hidden Cloud would never accept something like that,” he murmured, a faraway look in his eye. “They would tear the traitor apart limb from limb.”

My head snapped up at his words. He sounded so ... forlorn. So different. I felt my heart race for a second. Is he talking about himself? Does he think the village wouldn’t forgive him if he was helping Zaheer? I could tell there were was a meaning behind those words.

“Mamo?” I touched his arm. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

His eyes flashed and then he looked down at me. His face wiped away all those thoughts and shook his head. “Nothing except how much you have changed my life for the better, beautiful.”

That night—when saying goodbye—he leaned down and kissed me, deeply and full of need.

He was kissing me like it was the last time he would ever do it.

And that terrified me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, friends! I'm so sorry I was away for a while! T-T My carpal tunnel in both of my hands started to flare up real bad a couple days ago. Giving them some rest and switching to different painkillers, I felt good enough to write today!
> 
> AHHHH, please let me know your thoughts! We are almost to the end and I'm so sad about it but also excited for the rest of the story to unfold! Thank you again for reading and leaving comments!! <3


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

**WARNING:**

**Spoilers ahead if you have _NOT_ read Kakashi Hiden: Lightning in the Icy Sky! I am placing this spoiler warning just in case anyone wants to read the book but hasn't, or they might feel what contains in this chapter is a big spoiler. I rather be safe than sorry. I will post a brief summary at the end for those who don't want to read this chapter but want the gist to have context for the upcoming chapter.**

**Thank you!**

* * *

Mamo decided he was leaving a day early.

He said he had something to do, and I wondered if our talk last night had anything to do with it.

I thought about going to see if Kakashi was in on a Saturday, but thought better about it. Now I had a whole day to myself to rest and think what I was going to report. So I went to work at the tea shop for the day with Hana. Later that afternoon, Naruto showed up at the tea shop.

It wasn’t often that Naruto sought me to talk.

He would come to find me to get free snacks or play pranks on me, but not for a walk with a serious intention to talk. He came around less after the war, and I saw him even less after retiring. He made his best efforts to stop by briefly at the tea shop, eager to try new recipes for me.

So when he was in front of me now, I felt nervous. We closed over lunch and Naruto waited for me outside, hands in his pockets. He looked so big now—tall with his hair short against his ninja band. The black long-sleeved shirt suited him with the orange slacks.

We walked around, catching up first. Then as we moved further into a more desolate area of the village, he became more serious. Maybe as there were less people around. We went to the same open field with the waterfall that I showed Mamoru the other day.

“So ... about Mamoru,” he said. He glanced down at me.

Curiously, I met his gaze. Does he know about my mission?

“What about him?” I asked, tilting my head.

“You’re really dating him, huh?” Naruto said, looking out at the waterfall ahead of us. “Like seriously.”

“Yes,” I said warily.

“I didn’t say anything before, because ... well, because honestly, I didn’t think it would last this long and become serious. But do you really like him, big sis?” He looked at me again.

Furrowing my eyebrows. Why was he so interested? “What are you getting at, Naruto?”

“Ah, well ...” Naruto put a hand to the back of his neck and then looked out to the waterfall in front of us again. He avoided eye contact. “What about you and Kakashi-sensei?”

I blinked up at him. “What about me and Kakashi?”

Naruto sighed and looked down at his hands, one bandaged up. “I don’t know. I still thought that maybe you guys would ... you know. Make up.”

My face softened. “Naruto. As you know, Kakashi was the one that ended things long ago. He had his reasons.”

Naruto nodded and then slid his eyes over to me. “Do you still love him?”

I looked down and thought of Kakashi. My chest tightened and then I looked up at the sky. I never lied to him. “Yes.”

“Then why are you with that guy?” Naruto frowned. “Kakashi-sensei is way better, you know!”

Even at twenty, Naruto was so immature and naive. I shook my head. “It wasn’t up to me, Naruto.”

His face looked like he was mulling over my words. “So if Kakashi-sensei wanted to get back together, you would!”

I laughed. “It’s not that simple, Naruto.” I smiled and looked at the trees ahead of us. “I’m not sure how much you can know. But I doubt Mamo and I would last long.” And for some reason, that fact made me feel some type of way.

Naruto’s head snapped up, his eyes wide. “Really? Why?”

I tapped a fingertip against my own lips, humming. “Top secret.”

“Oh! You’re on a mission?”

Even for a dense boy, when it came to the shinobi world, Naruto was sharp. I smiled at him and nodded.

Naruto grinned. “So! That means you and Kakashi-sensei still have a chance together!”

I frowned. “No, Naruto. Like I said—”

“Don’t worry, big sis. Maybe I just need to talk some sense into him, you know!”

I sputtered, shaking my head. I thought of the way Kakashi made it clear that I was still his and didn’t think he would need much convincing. “Wait, Naruto! I don’t think that’s a good idea!”

Naruto smiled that big signature grin. He put up two fingers, one hand still in his pocket. “I got you, big sis!” Then he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

I groaned, covering my face.

He really was dense.

♦♦♦

After the talk with Naruto, it really had me thinking.

I was absentmindedly wiping down tables when I got lost into my own thoughts. What will happen after this mission is over?

If Mamo is found to be guilty, we would likely break up and he would get punishment as the Hidden Cloud would see fit. But then where would that leave Kakashi and me? And would I be over Mamo to be able to do that?

And if Mamo isn’t found to be guilty, then what? Do I stay with him? Would I want to? Would Kakashi want to pursue our relationship once again? It seems as if us messing around left us in limbo as we couldn’t truly be together since Mamo and the mission were in between that.

What feelings did I have for each man? I always have loved Kakashi and never stopped. But Mamo, I started catching real, long-term feelings unintentionally. He was just so sweet and easy to talk to.

“Hello? Hello!”

I snapped out of it as I looked up to see Hana in front of me, looking concerned. “What?”

“You’ve been cleaning the same spot for like five minutes now,” she said.

I looked down and then let go of the rag. “Oh, sorry,” I mumbled.

Hana looked over her shoulder nervously. “Um, as I tried to say before. You’re being summoned.”

“Summoned?” My eyes finally focused enough to see the ANBU member standing attention at the edge of the counter. With his mask on, I couldn’t read an expression so I didn’t know whether to be worried or not.

As I came up to him, he grabbed my arm gently. His voice was muffled behind the mask. “Sorry about this, Miss, but it’s an emergency. I am warning you that I have the ability of transportation with being able to bring someone with me. So you might feel dizzy when we arrive.” And in a blink of an eye, we were on the floor of the Hokage’s office.

I felt dizzy for a second and then two hands grabbed my shoulders. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here,” I heard Shikamaru say, his voice thick with worry.

I blinked up at him. Then, I heard it. Shouting. Items being thrown and glass shattering. Stomping. “What’s going on?” I said.

“Okay, so don’t freak out,” Shikamaru said, leading me to the office. “But Naruto and Kakashi are ... arguing.” Arguing? Sounded more like fighting!

“What?” I said, my voice an octave higher.

“Well, mostly it’s Naruto throwing a tantrum, but he won’t calm down. Kakashi hasn’t been able to do anything and he completely overturned me with shadow clones before I could use my shadow possession jutsu.”

“But why are they fighting?” I asked in disbelief.

Shikamaru stood in front of the door and gave me a pointed look. Oh. Oh?

Oh!

“Me?!” I squeaked out.

“Good luck,” he said and opened the door and shoved me in there before closing it behind me.

I stepped in to find a find a disaster of the office. It looked like a tornado had come through with papers all over, some of the portraits of the Hokage’s on the floor, and one chair knocked over. My eyes bugged out. Naruto was in full sage mode and Kakashi had his hands up, like he was trying to calm him down. I mean, at least Naruto wasn’t using Kurama as well.

“Naruto!” I said, horrified.

Naruto whipped his head around to see me, his sage mode immediately turning off. He looked like a kicked puppy. “Big sis, what’re you doing here?”

Kakashi leaned back against the wall, looking relieved.

“What are _you_ doing?” I asked.

Naruto looked at Kakashi who nervously flickered his eyes at me for a second. Naruto’s glare was murderous. “Do you want to tell her or do I have to do it for you, you coward?” he spat.

“Naruto!” I said, appalled. “That’s your Hokage!” I had to be the biggest hypocrite ever.

Naruto turned his glare towards me. “I don’t fucking care!” he growled. His hand tightened on a piece of paper I didn’t realize he was holding.

“Okay, what’s going on?” I said, my voice dripping with suspicion.

Naruto walked up to Kakashi, who kept his cool eyes on his student. He shoved the paper into his chest, his eyes never leaving his sensei’s. His hoarse voice cut through like ice. “You either tell her the truth or you’ll have to face me.”

Then, he was gone. I blinked at the cloud of smoke he left behind.

Kakashi slumped against the wall, holding onto the paper that Naruto had shoved at him. He put a hand over his face.

“Kakashi?” I said, uncertain.

“I didn’t do anything, because I had no reason to hurt him, and I didn’t want the office to be destroyed more than it was,” Kakashi finally said.

I looked around and then gave him a look. “I don’t think the office was something you had to worry about.”

“Okay, well, we both know Naruto could kill me in two seconds,” he said, walking back over to his desk. That was a lie.

“And he looked like he was going to,” I said, cocking my head to one side. “What’s going on?”

Kakashi looked down at the crumpled paper and then sighed. I walked over to the chair in front of his desk that wasn’t knocked over but didn’t sit in it. I grabbed the back of it and leaned over, curious.

_Dearest Kahyo,_

_I hope this letter finds you well. I was thinking of you the other day with spring coming upon us ...._

Kakashi folded the paper before I could read more. I blinked, feeling my chest tighten for a second.

 _Calm down_ , I thought to myself. _You don’t know who that is. And you also have Mamo, so it would be hypocritical to feel like this. But it’s a mission so it’s different ..._

My fingers tightened on the chair. What was I trying to justify?

“There’s someone ... I was infatuated with.” Kakashi sounded like he was choosing his words carefully, stating them slowly. Not with apprehension, but to gauge my reaction.

A shinobi is supposed to remain calm when unexpected things happen to them.

I tried to keep my facial features relaxed, knowing that Kakashi was watching my every move. I was so conditioned to stay still, because I was good at reading details that I was afraid someone else might pick up on my own small actions.

I couldn’t do it. Kakashi must’ve seen it in my eyes as I tried to keep my face neutral. He said my name softly.

“Who is she?” I found myself asking, and I really did try to keep my voice free from jealousy. But it was like I couldn’t help it.

“She’s the new lord of the Hōzuki Castle. I met her right before I was appointed Hokage.” His voice was quiet, filling up the room. There was something also underneath his tone. Something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Oh, yes,” I said. “I’ve heard the rumors but never assumed they were real.”

Kakashi sunk in his chair and inclined his head into his palm. “I’m sorry for not telling you. But, I swear it's not like th—”

I laughed. I didn’t mean to and it came out harsher than I wanted it to. It wasn’t often I felt this way. In fact, I don’t think I ever did when we were together. “Sorry? Why would you be sorry? It’s not like you’re obligated to tell me. You can do whatever you want.” I knew I was talking too much, showing how I felt with every syllable I let out. He looked at me with those cool eyes again.

I bit my lip, looking down, cursing myself for even speaking.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

He said my name again and I looked up. I tried to remain neutral, but with that look on his face. Was it ... pity? Or something else?

I crossed my arms. Whatever it was. I didn’t want it. “It’s okay. I have Mamo anyways.”

I knew that would push his button. His eyes narrowed as he stared up at me. “That’s different. He’s a mission.”

“Not when we first met,” I pointed out, tapping my foot.

“You’re telling me you have _real_ feelings for him?” he said, his voice now sounding on the edge of anger.

I pursed my lips and shrugged, looking away.

“Don’t forget this is an A-rank mission. Your feelings shouldn’t be affected by him.”

“And if they are? Then what?” I said, challenging him.

He stood up, his hands on his desk as he leaned over. “You’re crossing a _dangerous_ line.”

“Not if he’s innocent,” I said, glaring back at him.

His jaw moved underneath his mask and I knew I had done it. He was furious. “I can’t even be with her even if I wanted to,” he said.

My eyes widened slightly and I had to control myself enough to not send the chair in front of me flying out the window. “Are you insinuating I am a _backup plan_?” I said, letting my fists fall at my side. I felt electricity build up between my fingers.

“Aren’t _you_?” he spat back.

“ _You’re_ the one who ended things years ago, Kakashi! If you wanted me, you could’ve had me! And now that someone else is in the picture, you want me again? What kind of bullshit is that?” I yelled at him.

“You wouldn’t understand!”

“It’s always that!” I said, turning away and putting my hands in my hair, wanting to rip some strands out. I was so close to fucking losing it. “That I’ll never understand! That I don’t want to hear it, that I won’t want to know! It’s never the truth with you!” I turned back around and looked at him, my face falling. “You can’t decide that for me. You won’t know unless you are honest with me!”

He stood up straight, crossing his arms, looking down at his desk. I stayed there, holding my breath. Was he going to take everything back? Were we finally going to talk about all this? Will he tell me he never stopped loving me like I never stopped loving him?

“We’re not getting into this. You should go home and get some rest.” His reply was cool, icy around the edges of each syllable.

I didn’t realize I was holding back tears until they fell. I turned around swiftly so he wouldn’t see them. I wiped away at them quickly, trying to pull myself together.

I didn’t say anything as I walked out of the office. No one was around and I thanked my lucky stars that Shikamaru wasn’t just right outside or he would’ve heard everything.

Everything felt like a blur as I walked back to my house. When I went inside, I didn’t even make it past the kitchen until I broke down. I let them out, ugly and loud, the sobs shaking my entire being. I leaned back against the wall and slid down, pulling my legs up against my chest. My forehead hit my knees and I squeezed out every tear I could.

I was fooling myself thinking there was a chance. The tiny sliver of hope I had between me and Kakashi was demolished today. He made sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUMMARY: Mamoru leaves a day early. Naruto talks to OC about Mamoru, wondering why she's still together with him. Naruto clearly wants OC and Kakashi to get back together. Naruto asks OC if she's still in love with Kakashi and she says yes. OC insinuates that her and Mamo might break up anyway, and Naruto figures out she's on a mission. He convinces himself that he needs to talk to Kakashi to get him back together with OC. Later in the chapter, in the tea shop OC deliberates with herself about the two men and what she wants. Her thoughts are interrupted by Hana, who tells her she's being summoned by an ANBU member.
> 
> OC is brought to the Hokage office where Shikamaru shoves her in. Naruto was throwing a tantrum because of a secret Kakashi was hiding from OC. Naruto threatens Kakashi to tell OC the truth before leaving. OC and Kakashi get into a heated argument b/c he was sending a secret letter to a woman. OC becomes jealous (calling herself a hypocrite), and before she lets Kakashi explain himself, she interrupts him. At the end of their argument, she basically pleads Kakashi to be honest with her with everything (mostly talking about their breakup). He tells her to go, and she leaves back to her house, thinking Kakashi has ruined any hope of them getting back together.
> 
> \--------
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts!! If the summary is still confusing, please let me know and I will try my best to clarify and not spoil anything. I am horrible at summaries so it might sound worse than it is lol.
> 
> Thank you so, so, so, so, so much for reading!!! <3 Your continued support means so much to me.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi and OC finally talk, and Kakashi opens up about everything. (Bonus smut scene at the end. Not necessary to the story if you want to skip.)

* * *

It was quiet the next few days.

I had no idea when I would see Mamo next, but I figured I would report what we had talked about. I asked Shikamaru to meet me in his office, and I thanked my lucky stars that we didn’t run into Kakashi that day. Apparently he was somewhere else in the village, opening a ceremony for something.

I gave Shikamaru my report, not questioning me about why I was telling him instead of Kakashi like last time. He nodded at my words, and then he frowned when I started to give my personal opinion on the whole matter. He stopped me and told me to only give him the facts. I sighed and let it go that time.

Monday came and went. I supposed we were not going to have that talk, or if we would, not this week.

Naruto came around and asked if Kakashi told me. I said yes and he sighed.

I told him I didn’t want to talk about it, so we went to eat ramen and catch up on everything else. Once again, I asked about Hinata and his face brightened so much while doing so, it made me smile. It was so contagious.

When he walked me back to my place, Naruto was quiet. “It will be all right, big sis,” he finally said.

I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. “Hm?”

“Ah, you and Kakashi-sensei, I mean. He’s just being an idiot right now, you know? I mean, look at me! It took me this long to figure things out with Hinata, so I’m sure you guys will be okay!” He grinned at me.

I gave him a half-smile. “I admire your optimism, Naruto. Now, thank you for walking me home. It was so nice to see you,” I said, giving him a hug.

He gave me a tight hug. When I entered my house, I nearly jumped out of my shoes. I almost screamed Naruto’s name until I noticed the silver hair.

I blinked, pressing my back against the door. Kakashi was lying on his back on my couch, an open book facing down on his chest. It looked like he had fallen asleep.

I took off my shoes and quietly put my coat and purse on the coat rack next to me. I moved about silently, walking over to the couch. He looked so peaceful here, his breathing coming in and out slow and steady. I crouched down next to him, outlining his features, his eyebrows, eyelids, scar, the curve of his nose under his mask. He didn’t have on his ninja headband and some of his hair had fallen over his forehead. My heart ached so much thinking of our fight.

There really was no one else but him, however, my pride would never admit that at this moment. I reached out and brushed some of his hair to the side.

I should be angry that he broke into my house, but it’s happened so many times now that I didn’t mind it. Maybe that wasn’t normal. He must have passed out waiting for me. I’m sure he’s so tired because of his job. Maybe I should ease up on him.

“If you’re just going to stare at me, you might as well take a picture.” His eyes opened.

I let out a tiny “ _eep_!” and fell back on my bottom. Blood immediately rushed to my cheeks and I heard him let out a soft snort. He sat up, closing the book.

I scrambled to my feet, crossing my arms, making an attempt to look annoyed. “What’re you doing trespassing in my home, Lord Sixth?”

Kakashi raked his fingers through his hair and then smoothed it out the way it was before. “Am I not welcome in your home as Hokage?” he teased, sitting back against the couch now. He smirked.

I scowled. “If I say no, will I be executed?”

Kakashi let out a laugh, then patted the spot next to him. Hesitantly, I took a step forward, smoothing down my dress. I sat down and turned towards him. “I came to apologize in person.”

I looked down at my lap, not wanting to have this conversation.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. There’s no excuse.” Kakashi sounded sincere and I peeked up at him. I could never resist those eyes of his.

“I’m sorry too,” I said, my face softening. “I don’t like it when we fight. And I shouldn’t have said those things either.”

“I do want to be more open with you. You were right. I shouldn’t have decided those things for you.” Kakashi stretched an arm out on the ledge of the couch, and his side looked so inviting. I wanted to snuggle right up into him. I shook my head, needing to focus.

“Well, I don’t want to pressure you, so please do so at your own pace,” I said.

He turned slightly away from me and I knew he was smiling. “I will say now I was being a little overprotective.”

I let out a laugh. “A little?”

He sighed but then gave me a small smile. “Okay, a lot.” His face turned serious. “This is actually what I wanted to talk to you about earlier. I realize now that the way I was trying to protect you was hurting you. And I ...” He looked away, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know why ... I just ...”

I stayed silent, watching him. He looked like he was struggling, closing his eyes briefly. “I was— _am_ —an asshole. I am not good enough for you, but I still feel like you belong to me?” He put a hand up to his face. “It’s all fucked up. I don’t know what I’m trying to say. After almost losing you ...” He paused here. “If you went out on a higher ranked mission and I heard you got hurt or even worse ... I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. And it would be because _I_ sent you there.” He closed his fist and placed it on his knee. “And it would be my fault like last time that you almost died. I just want to say I’m sorry.” He looked at me, his eyes misty now. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I hurt you. You didn’t deserve that and I was selfish. I thought if we ... I thought it would be okay now.” He reached out, touching my cheek with two of his fingers. “Stupidly, I thought being Hokage would change everything, but I did more harm than good. So that’s why I’ve decided something.”

The next thing I knew he was on the floor in front of me, kneeling on both knees, and looking up at me. He held my hands and I blinked.

“I know how much being a shinobi means to you, and I want to show you my deepest apologies.” My heart started to pound for some reason. What the fuck was he doing? “I want to resign as Hokage so I can fix this.” My eyes widened and when I was about to protest, he let go of one of my hands to bring up his own to stop me. His eyes looked determined. “I owe you that. You deserve to be out there on missions you want to be on. You deserve to do what you want.” He took a shaky deep breath. “I realized I can’t be rational. No matter how hard I try, I cannot do it. Not with you.”

“Kakashi ...” I said softly.

He shook his head. “Listen. I’ve lost a lot of people in my life. My father, my sensei, my two closest friends ... and so many more. And when I thought I would also see you die right in front of me, I think it terrified me.” Kakashi’s hands tightened their grip on mine. “I couldn’t deal with it. I thought if I pushed you away, I would be able to prevent that pain. I thought ... I don’t know.”

I waited for more of his words, squeezing his hands back.

“I got it in my messed up head that I was cursed.” He focused on our hands, letting out a small laugh. “It’s so stupid saying it out loud, but that’s how I felt. I thought if you stayed with me, you would die.” He winced and then closed his eyes. “I never meant to undermine you. Even with all the logic in the world, I felt this paranoia. You’re ... so incredibly important to me. If I lost you, I wouldn’t ... I don’t know what I would do. The only thing I can do right now is hope you can forgive me someday.”

I slid closer and put a hand on his cheek, turning his head slightly so he would look at me. “You won’t lose me, Kakashi. I promise. You are not cursed.” His eyes looked glassy and I smiled slightly. “I trust you with my life,” I said. I knew I would have to speak with him more later about the state of our relationship and it’s unbalanced dynamic. But this was a first step in the right direction, I thought.

He leaned forward, almost second guessing himself. He hesitated, taking one hand back to unmask the lower half of his face. Hypnotized, I pulled him to me and kissed him.

Kakashi responded immediately, cupping my face in his hands. It was a tender kiss, gentle and slow. When he pulled back, I still had my eyes closed. I was completely under his spell.

I opened my eyes to see a soft smile on his face. I returned it and then remembered what he said earlier about resigning. My smile turned into a frown and he rose an eyebrow at me. “One thing’s for sure, I’m not letting you resign as Hokage.”

I was still completely shocked he even brought up the possibility, but he made me promise to let me think about it. He was completely serious about it.

“Then who would be Hokage?” I said, grimacing. “Naruto is not ready.”

Kakashi groaned, rolling his head back. “Well ... Shikamaru can do it?” he said, taking a peek at me.

I hit him, giggling. He chuckled quietly, and I shook my head. “He would totally be like—”

We said it at the same time: “What a drag!”

We burst out laughing, and I hadn’t seen that side of him in so long. I threw my hands over my face as I snorted and his shoulders shook as his forehead hit the couch cushion by my knee.

After calming down, I was smiling at him. He moved to sit next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I snuggled into his side, tucking my legs underneath myself. We stayed there for a long time.

“Promise me you’ll think about it,” he finally said again, his fingers brushing over my arm.

“Mmm.”

He said my name. “I mean it.”

“I said ‘mmm’!”

“I’ll do it anyway.”

“No, you won’t,” I said, turning my head to bury my face in his side. “I’ll kill you.”

He laughed. “Are you threatening me?” There was a teasing tone in his voice.

“Maybe.” I lifted my head up, grinning up at him.

He rolled his eyes but he smirked back. “Anyway, there’s something else I have to confess.”

I groaned, making a motion to pull back from him. “Kakashi, I don’t think I can handle anymore—”

“Just let me say this,” he said, chuckling. He pulled me back into his side and I pouted.

“That letter that Naruto found?” I stiffened, thinking of the brief words I saw. “It was a draft. I was writing to tell her that I wouldn’t be able to respond to her letters anymore and I was going to hire a middle man to have her report to. I admit that the beginning sounded bad, and Naruto started to ask questions.” I bit my lip. “I told Naruto the truth and he kind of lost it.” I giggled. “But he didn’t let me finish! I tried to tell him, but then you came in. I’ve never seen him so mad at me before and I knew I messed up.”

“Well, I _guess_ that’s okay,” I said, biting back a smile.

He snorted, bending his head down to bury his face in my neck. I squealed as he tickled me, trying to push him away. “Kashi! Stop!”

He wrapped his arms around my waist and kept me close as he nuzzled his face in my neck. I threw my head back laughing, and then he stopped, only to pull back grinning. “I love you.”

My smile immediately melted off my face, my eyes slightly widened in shock before I looked up at him. “What?”

He leaned in closer, his lips barely touching mine. “I. Love. You.”

I reached up to grab his face and was about to tell him we should talk about us first. “I—”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Kakashi pulled back, looking at the door. His hands didn’t let go of me and I went to get up, but his hands tightened around my waist.

“Wait,” he said, his voice low.

I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to feel something. Then, Kakashi stood up. “Kakashi?”

He turned to look at me. “That’s for me. I have to go.”

I blinked at him, and before I knew it, he disappeared.

The knocking stopped.

* * *

**Bonus Scene**

_**(Sometime ... whenever you want it to be. It could even be a dream!)** _

I came home, feeling tired. I decided a nice warm shower would help wash away all of today’s stress.

I came out of the bathroom in nothing but an over-sized crew neck sweater and panties. I brushed my hair and then started to lotion everywhere. I hummed a simple tune as I went around my room, getting things ready for the next day.

I exited my room to walk towards the kitchen as it was my nightly ritual to have some tea before bedtime. I walked down the hallway, and when I was about to turn the corner, I froze as I saw Kakashi sitting down on the couch. The lamp on the end table was on so I could see him clearly. He was sitting up, both of his arms hanging on the ledge of the couch, and one leg crossed over the other. I noticed he wasn’t in his regular ninja outfit. At least not all of it. He still had a dark blue long sleeved shirt on, his dark blue pants on, but no flak jacket and no gloves. His hair was disheveled without his ninja headband, hair falling over his forehead. I noticed he had his mask down and that’s what made my eyes widen.

“L-Lord Sixth!” I said. I was caught off guard, panicking. Did I do something wrong now? I didn’t even do anything today! I just managed the shop! Mamoru wasn’t even supposed to see me until two weeks from now!

His hungry eyes landed on me and then I saw his eyes travel south. That brought me out of it and I let out a small noise, willing my sweater to be longer. “I-I’m sorry! I’ll—!”

I turned and that’s when he said my name. He told me to turn back around. Trying to ignore the butterflies and excitement, I turned around, my fingers tightening on the hem of my sweater, still trying to pull it down further. I blushed fiercely as he didn’t say anything for a minute and then uncrossed his legs. Lifting only one wrist, he crooked a finger at me. “Come here.”

I hesitated and then swallowed, slowly walking over. I stood in front of the coffee table, the only thing between us. I wanted to ask if I was in trouble but when I looked into his face, I didn’t dare say anything.

“Closer.”

Biting my lip, I walked around the coffee table until I was in front of him, still fussing over my sweater. He finally leaned forward and grabbed my hips, pulling me down to him as my eyes widened.

He made straddle him on the couch. I was already losing myself as I put my hands on his shoulders. My sweater was falling off one shoulder and his eyes roved over my naked skin, seeing I didn’t have a bra strap exposed.

I felt breathless and when I went to move, his hands shot up and cupped my face. His eyes went up to meet mine. I felt myself blush as he tilted my head up, leaning up to brush his lips over my throat. I tried to stifle back my whimper as his lips roamed up to my ear, whispering, “Let me just look at you for a second, okay?”

I gave a nod, his hands still holding my head up. He pulled back, his eyes staring down at my legs. I squirmed and felt myself become wet as I felt him get excited underneath me. His eyes roamed up and watched as the only exposed part of my chest turned pink. My blush was traveling up my neck as I saw that he was watching my chest rise and fall quickly. My breathing became erratic under his stare and then his eyes slowly moved up, his thumbs brushing over my lips now.

I made a small noise, my hands gripping onto his shoulders tightly now. That made his eyes flicker up to me, and satisfied seeing my face completely flushed, he leaned up again and tilted my head further up, exposing my throat. He kissed down it before his tongue dragged its way down. His lips stopped at my sweater. He let go of me and then he said, “Take it off.”

Knees already weakened, I started to shake my head. “I-I’m—”

His eyes darkened and he tilted his head as I closed my mouth.

Biting my lip, I grabbed the hem of my sweater and slowly lifted it over my head. I went to cross my arms over my chest but he grabbed my wrists. “Don’t.”

I swallowed, feeling the air caress my naked breasts now. I willed for my nipples to stop but they started to harden. I felt Kakashi throb underneath me now and I wondered how he could have such high self-control. I practically wanted to rip his clothes off.

He leaned forward and took one nipple into his mouth and that broke all my self-control. I moaned out loud and moved my hips against his. I was panting as he moved to the next one, nibbling on it. I couldn’t concentrate anymore and when I heard him speaking, I had to blink hard to understand what he said. He told me it was up to me how the night would end.

He let go of my wrists now and they automatically landed on his chest. I was breathing heavily, my eyes pleading him. He didn’t even have to say it, I leaned in and kissed him.

He kissed me back just as eagerly, one hand snaking up my spine, getting lost in my hair. He gently pulled my head back and I gasped, his eyes meeting mine. “Ka—”

“That’s not who I am to you.”

My lip quivered and I closed my eyes, feeling my skin become hotter. “Lord S-Sixth.”

He brought me back down, kissing me deeply. “Good girl.”

He stood up, bringing me with him as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I let out a small whimper when he dropped me in my bed. I looked up at him and then proceeded to sit up on my knees. I reached out, my fingers brushing over his shirt. My eyes looked into his, seeking permission, and he nodded.

I helped take off his shirt, my fingers running down his toned chest and over his abs. I didn’t think I could get any more wet. I leaned in, my lips barely brushing over his skin and I felt him shiver. My hands moved down to his pants. I unbuttoned them and unzipped them, my hand running down to feel him hard. I pulled them down along with his boxers. He kicked them aside.

I wrapped my hand around his member and it felt so warm and hard. My lips parted, transfixed. There was pre-cum already coming out at the tip and I pressed a finger pad against it, moving it around. It throbbed in my hands and I leaned forward, hesitating for a second before I opened my mouth and took him in. I heard him let out a moan, his hands coming into my hair.

It’s been so long and I closed my eyes, reveling in the pleasing noises he was letting out. I felt him shudder and I ran my free hand over his abs again. Then he gently pulled me back and I blinked up at him.

The lust was so evident in his face and he shook his head. “I can’t wait anymore.” His voice came out husky and breathless.

He pushed me back against the bed and got on his knees in front of me. His hands landed on my knees and he slowly opened them, probably seeing the big wet spot on my panties. I squirmed, feeling myself blush again. He reached down and pulled them down, tossing them aside. He put the tip of his cock at my entrance and I was making noises, whispering that I needed it.

He slowly slid it in and I gasped. I had forgotten what it felt like. In the moonlight, I saw his eyes roll back in pleasure and I couldn’t help but let out a moan. He leaned over me, kissing me deeply as he thrusted in all the way. My breath caught in my throat and he pushed all the way in, letting me feel all of him.

My hands went around his neck, pulling him closer, my legs wrapping around his waist again.

I whispered in his ear to go faster. He groaned into my neck. “I’m losing it fast, baby. I ...”

“I’m almost there,” I pleaded, kissing his neck, nibbling on his earlobe.

He thrusted into me harder and faster, and I clung to him. My fingernails dug into his skin and scratched down. I pulled on his hair and that only made him go crazier. His kisses were leaving blazing trails on my skin and I felt that familiar sensation building up inside me.

He pulled back as he saw me let go. I arched my back and I screamed his name, my hands grasping onto the sheets around me. He lost it too and pulled out before he could cum inside me.

“Holy ...” I breathed, staring up at the ceiling, slightly dizzy.

I felt his finger go inside me once again and I jumped a little, whimpering. He pulled out his finger and popped it into his mouth, closing his eyes. “That was so good, baby.”

I blushed fiercely at his compliment, feeling high of some sorts. His hands smoothed over my thighs, and they were still slightly trembling. Kakashi commented on how he loved that. Then, he got off and told me he was going to clean up and come back to clean me. I laid there, not moving.

My eyes started to droop, hearing the water run in the other room. I fell asleep before he came back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh I am so, so, so nervous to post this!! Please let me know your thoughts! Kakashi has finally opened up to OC, and I am not sure how you guys will react to it. It's still very toxic, I realize, but I thought that him realizing his mistakes AT LEAST was in the right direction. The story isn't done quite yet so anything could happen!
> 
> I also wanted to include this bonus smut scene as celebration for Ariana Grande's newest album! Gah! That whole album screams inspiration. I hope you guys liked the scene. I am shy about posting it since it's my first full fic smut scene if that makes sense lol. But anywho, I hope you guys are having an amazing day!
> 
> ON TOP OF THAT, I am so, so, so excited to announce I just published my first Kakashi one-shot! So if you're tired of this Kakashi, I feel like in the one-shot he is more in character. I have been dying to publish it and now feel confident enough to do so as I've revised it a few times. If you do end up checking it out, thank you!! If it's not your cup of tea, no worries!!
> 
> Thank you again for reading and commenting!! It really helps me!! <3


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mamoru shows up to talk to OC.

* * *

It had been days since I’ve last seen Kakashi.

I haven’t heard anything from Mamo as well. Even when I tried to find Shikamaru, he was nowhere to be found. When I visited the Hokage’s office, Riku told me that they were out of the building for a private meeting.

I gave up, figuring that I would see them when I see them. I had gone back to work at the tea shop for a while, giving the guy Kakashi hired a break.

Out the blue, Tenten pretty much waltzed inside the shop. Hana was in the corner, wiping down some tables. There were not a lot of people in at the time, so I wasn’t too worried when she was being louder than usual. “Oh, my dear friend!” she cried out, coming over to the counter.

I rose an eyebrow at her. “Hey, there. It’s been a while!”

She giggled, her cheeks flushed. “You will not believe what has happened!”

Hana finally caught Tenten and her eyes widened. I gave her a dark look over Tenten’s shoulder, warning her that if she ran away again, hell would rain on her. I turned to Tenten as Hana went back to wiping tables she had already cleaned. “Please enlighten me.” I smiled, laying one side of my face into my palm. I was leaning against the counter.

“Lee and I are an item!”

My eyes widened as I stood up straight. “ _What_? Since when? How? Why? Details!” For one second, I felt eternal happiness—thinking, _finally_! But as my eyes slid on over to Hana, her shoulders were hunched as she froze. Then, deflated and my smile disappeared. Oh, shit. Maybe I should’ve let her run away.

“Okay, so remember that night we got _super_ drunk? Well, I blacked out! I woke up in his bed!” she said, staring dreamily off in the distance. “But, like, he didn’t do anything, I swear! It was because I lost my keys and all this bunch of other stuff. Anyway, he apparently took care of me all night, and …” She sighed contentedly, looking at me, her eyes shining. “I pretty much confessed right there during breakfast. And he _kissed_ me! _Me_!” She shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head, letting out the tiniest of squeals. “Can you even believe it?”

Hana walked on over to the counter and slipped through to the back. Tenten didn’t even notice. I felt a slight pinch of pain for her. Tenten grabbed my hands and grinned. “So we have been inseparable ever since! And I have you to thank for! I finally took your advice about telling him my feelings!”

“Ten, I’m so happy for you!” I said, squeezing her hands. And I was. I truly was. She caught me up on everything and then eventually left.

I went back into the kitchen, sighing and leaning my hip against the counter as I crossed my arms. Hana stood back against the fridge, her own arms crossed, and her eyes closed. “You okay?” I said gently.

“Yeah,” she said, opening her eyes. “I mean, I’m happy for her. It’s not like we ever officially met.”

“Still,” I said. “It sucks.”

She let out a sad laugh, nodding her head. “Yeah, I guess so. Thanks.”

I gave her a small smile. “Anytime.”

♦♦♦

It was a week and a half later when Mamo showed up in the evening.

I let him in, happy to see him. Relieved even. I gave him a peck on the lips and started to make tea for us. He seemed a lot more solemn and quiet. I noted his attitude out loud and asked if he was okay.

“It’s … a lot, beautiful. A lot.” He looked down at the kitchen table and I placed the mug of tea in front of him. He took ahold of it.

I looked at him kindly and sat down. “I have all the time in the world for you, Mamo.” I smiled.

He gave a wan smile in return. “Thank you. I don’t even know where to start.” He talked, I drank. He took a sip every now and then.

Apparently, Zaheer was up to no good. I tried not to let my reactions give me away, but I felt the validation run through my veins. I knew it. I just fucking knew it.

“Beautiful … I … I did something bad.” He looked down into his mug, his fingers clutching the cup tightly. I reached out and rested my hand on his arm.

“Mamo. I will never judge you. I am here for you and if you are recognizing that Zaheer is doing something sinister, then I would take that you did not know what you did was probably bad.”

He nodded. Mamo looked up at me. “Remember the banana palm fan that Tenten wielded in the war?”

 _Stay calm_ , I told myself. I nodded, waiting. I took another sip of tea.

“It was stolen from the Hidden Cloud,” he said. A deep breath. Then, “I stole it.”

His eyes rose to meet mine. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. _No_. That is punishable by death. He waited for my reaction. I couldn’t do anything but blurt out, “Why?”

That was the burning question. The one that Shikamaru has pondered over and over. My eyebrows drew up in concern and Mamo shook his head.

“Zaheer told me it was to bring peace to the village. But I didn’t even know half of his plan by then. The fan was needed to open a door. You see, the fan is able to generate all five of the basic elemental chakra natures and all five are needed to open said door. It didn’t work when we had five different people open the door at the same time. No variations worked. But Zaheer had a theory that the fan could do it.” Mamo paused here, taking a cautious sip. He shook his head, closing his eyes.

“Mamo, it’s okay,” I said softly.

“I stole the fan for Zaheer. And it _did_ work. What’s hidden behind the door is a weapon—a very deadly weapon that can be used to immobilize hundreds of people at the same time.” I looked up at him in quiet surprise. What?

“And Zaheer wanted this weapon,” I said.

Mamoru nodded. “Yes. The weapon is kept away from our village. It’s actually not far from here,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “Zaheer told me he read through some scrolls and told me that the weapon only immobilizes _lightning_ users.”

“Oh. I see.”

“That’s why it’s so dangerous to our village since a lot of us congregate there. Also, the Raikage has always been a primary lightning user.”

“So, Zaheer wants this weapon to use against the Raikage?” I whispered, guessing.

Mamo nodded. “Yeah. As you know, my uncle is currently the fastest man alive. His lightning use is too powerful. Zaheer wants to use the weapon to immobilize every possible threat to be able to get to the Raikage easier. He’s already conjured up a huge group to help with the assassination that are _not_ lightning users.” Mamo put his head in his hands. “I thought … I thought we were just going to impeach my uncle. I thought we weren’t going to use lethal measures to do this, but Zaheer had other plans apparently.” He swallowed, raking a hand over his face. “I’m an idiot.”

“No, you’re not!” I said fiercely. I looked at him. “You are an amazing shinobi and he used your grief to manipulate you. That doesn’t make you an idiot.”

Mamo gave a half-smile. “So you don’t hate me? Even though I’m a criminal?”

“Of course not!” I said, standing up. I went over to him and turned him towards me before I placed my hands on his shoulders. “Mamoru. We can save your uncle. Let me help you. I believe you and I know there’s only good in your heart.” I leaned down a little, pressing my forehead against his. “You’re one of the best people I know.”

He said my name this time and I closed my eyes, already knowing he’s going to resist.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. “We can do this, Mamo. Please. Let me help you.”

His hands reached up and cupped my face, looking into my eyes. “You’re a lightning user, beautiful. I am not going to put you in harm’s way. Besides, I have time. I have a plan in mind. There’s another scroll that we need to get before the plan is set.”

I pulled back, blinking. “What scroll?”

Mamo hesitated. “It’s here somewhere in the Leaf. I was supposed to come back here to retrieve it. You see, the weapon cannot be easily removed from the room it’s stored in. There’s some sort of barrier around it as an extra protection. Zaheer has sent various people in there to try to get it out but they’ve all died trying. Apparently the scroll has the information needed to unseal the barrier.”

“That’s great then! We can gather forces, we can …”

He stood up, grabbing my hands. “No. You’re not going to get involved. _No_.”

I squeezed his hands tightly. “Then let’s talk to the Hokage. I’m sure he will help. Please. He will understand, he will hear you out!” I took a step closer, placing a palm on his cheek. “ _Please_. We can go first thing tomorrow morning. Shikamaru will probably be able to get us to meet him right away since it will be an emergency. We will figure this out together.”

“I told you, beautiful, I have a plan,” he said. “I just … I needed to let you know before I left to do it. Just in case.”

“Don’t even talk like that,” I said, my voice low and dark. “Can you please listen to me?” I was starting to get desperate. I was even half-tempted to go to Shikamaru or Kakashi right now. “Just give me a day. Give _us_ a day. This is a time of peace. You don’t have to work on this alone, Mamo. Please. I’m begging you.”

Mamoru looked into my eyes and then slowly nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”

I leaned up on my toes and kissed him. He kissed me back deeply, wrapping his arms around my waist. He pulled back, hugging me tightly. “Can I spend the night here?”

“Of course,” I murmured against his chest.

I felt better, knowing that he was going to give my suggestion a chance. I’m sure Kakashi could help. He just had to. We had the advantage here.

“So, did you want a second cup of tea?” Mamo asked, turning towards the table. “I think I kind of need it to relax.” He laughed humorlessly.

I allowed myself a small smile. “Yes, please.”

I let him get the kettle going again as I went to the bathroom. I splashed my face with cold water, and I took a deep breath. _It will be all right. Everything’s going to be okay_ , I thought.

When I came back out, Mamo was already sitting at the kitchen table, his hot tea steaming from the mug. I sat down across from him.

I picked up my cup and took a sip, trying to calm myself down. I was still reeling from the information he gave me.

As I took another sip, it was too late. I had tasted the weirdness of the tea too late. I stood up, knocking over everything as Mamo stood up as well, his hands out in a motion of saying to calm down.

“Wait ... what did you ...” Everything was spinning and I tried to turn around. The world tilted and I felt strong arms catch me, lips at my ear.

The last thing I heard was Mamo murmuring, “I’m sorry, beautiful.”

♦♦♦

My eyes fluttered open and I tried to assess my surroundings.

I woke up in an eerily white room. Everything came rushing back and I sat up quickly in the bed I was in. My head spun from the sudden motion and I put a hand up to it as I groaned.

Shit.

Shit, shit, shit.

“Good, you’re awake.”

I blinked and tried to focus on the direction of the voice. I saw a tall, thin man. Next to him was Mamoru. He had his arms crossed, not looking at me.

“Who are you?” I said, my words slightly slurred from the effects of the drugs.

“You mean you don’t remember me?” His voice sounded amused. My eyes finally focused enough to register it was Zaheer. “I’m the one who’s finally going to succeed,” he said, delighted.

When he walked over, I tried to scoot away, but he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me towards him. Nothing could describe his grin as anything but evil.

My eyes widened and I tried to take his hand off me, but he threw his head back and laughed at my weak attempts. “My, my, my. You are a feisty one. I like her.”

He threw a look towards Mamoru and I cried out but then bit it back as he looked back down at me. “Now let’s see what that horrid Hokage sees in you, shall we?” His eyes turned. Some doujutsu I’ve never seen before. His black irises started to turn into liquid gold and then it spread across like food coloring droplets do in water. The outer ring of his eye burned a bright yellow and orange, almost like the sun.

Before I could close my eyes, he caught my chin with his other hand and held me in place, already having me in his grip.

My limbs loosened and I felt numb as I felt him probe my mind. My whole body turned extremely warm from my head to the tips of my toes. It was as if the warmth was coursing through my veins, making my whole body limp with forced relaxation.

I heard Mamo’s voice far away. “Remember, you’re not supposed to harm her, physically _or_ mentally, until we get what we need.”

“Hush now, she’ll be fine.”

My arms fell at my sides and I watched in my mind as he poked and prodded my memories. With Naruto. With Yamato. With Shikamaru. With Tsunade. With Sakura. With Tenten. With Mamo.

With Kakashi.

“She has a lot of information here,” Zaheer murmured thoughtfully. “I thought you said she’s seen the scroll herself.”

Mamoru voice sounded tight. “That’s what she told me.”

 _Scroll?_ I thought. _I never said that._

“Perhaps she’s lied to you more than you thought. I’m seeing a lot here with the Hokage and their intimate moments.”

Mamoru made an angry noise.

“But you really had her wrapped around your little finger, didn’t you?” Zaheer chuckled. “She really believed everything you told her.”

Suddenly, Zaheer pulled away and I felt strangely cold. I fell back on the bed, my head spinning. I felt a presence beside me but I closed my eyes tightly. I groaned out loud, feeling pain pierce from the back of my neck to the top of my head. It felt like my skull was caving in.

Mamo’s voice turned dark. “What did you do to her?”

I closed my mouth, trying to hold back my noises. A shinobi always remains calm when everything is thrown at them.

A shinobi doesn’t show the enemy they got to them.

A shinobi isn’t supposed to have feelings during an undercover mission.

I opened my eyes and saw Mamo leaning over me. I couldn’t help it. My head was in pain and I felt my face scrunch up as tears pricked my eyes. “Mamo,” I whimpered.

He looked so conflicted, his eyebrows drawing up in concern, the way his features tightened and then relaxed. He looked back over at Zaheer, giving murderous glares.

Zaheer simply put up a hand to dismiss Mamoru. “Relax. It’s simply an after effect of my jutsu. She’ll be fine. I’ll try again later if that makes you feel better. It was too much chakra even for me.”

I closed my eyes, trying to push the pain aside to focus. I bit my tongue, trying to distract the pain from my head to somewhere else. It wasn’t working.

“And if you can’t find anything?” Mamoru said, his voice quiet.

“We’ll have to kill her if she doesn’t have the information. Simple as that. We’ll find another way to transport the weapon if she doesn’t know. This is your mission. Remember that.” Zaheer paused here. Then I heard him say, “Mamoru. Don’t tell me you have feelings for this girl.”

He didn’t even hesitate. “I don’t. But if she has the information we need then we can’t risk corrupting her mind. Remember that your jutsu has side effects, sir.”

I felt tears prick my eyes. I was an idiot. I was an idiot and Mamoru didn’t care about me. I kept my eyes tightly closed.

“Yes, yes, I know,” Zaheer said.

I tried to open my eyes and I saw Mamoru standing there with his arms crossed. “We are still on for the assassination even if we can’t transport the weapon, right?”

“Yes. I have my subordinates stationed around this place just in case. We can’t risk losing the weapon.” Silence. Mamoru stared down at the ground, nodding. I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness. I heard Zaheer sigh. “Just make sure your little girlfriend doesn’t escape. I’ll come back later.”

I heard the door open and close. I tried to keep my eyelids open. Mamo looked back down at me. “Don’t worry. This will all be over soon.”

I let myself fall into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! There are only 2 chapters left and a short epilogue. I have written everything out and I will be editing and revising probably for the rest of the day. I really want to get them out tonight if possible, but if I don't, I'm sorry!
> 
> Anyway, please let me know your thoughts!! I appreciate all the comments I've received so far! You guys really keep me motivated! <3 I am also working on another short series that I want to start publishing sometime this week. I'm so excited and nervous! (Spoiler: it will be another Kakashi fanfic hehehe.)
> 
> I hope you guys are having an amazing day, and thank you so, so much for reading!! <3


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

The next time I opened my eyes, I heard a loud clang.

My head was still throbbing, but not as much as before. I sat up and saw the room was empty. I heard an actual bang and I closed my eyes, trying to focus.

The door blasted open then and my eyes widened. I scooted back on the bed, praying that whatever was coming through the door I could handle it. The smoke cleared and I heard my name.

I scrambled to get off the bed, running into Kakashi’s arms. “Oh, thank goodness,” he breathed, his embrace fierce. He pulled back, placing my head between his hands and looked me over. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. He nodded. “Okay, good.” He reached around in his back pouch and took out my gloves. “Also, I figured you might need these.” I took them and put them on. “All right. Let’s go.” I noticed he had a cut above his brow and seemed a bit breathless.

“But—!”

“No time! Let’s go!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the hallway where I noticed it littered with fallen shinobi. My eyes widened but Kakashi weaved us around the bodies as we ran down the hallway. We turned into another hallway that was clear, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit dizzy from the running. My knees buckled underneath me and I let go of Kakashi’s hand and fell. I put a hand to my head, the throbbing piercing tiny shots of pain.

Kakashi turned to look at me and bent down, his hand wrapping around the side of my neck. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

I gritted my teeth and shook my head. “I’m sorry. He … drugged me. I think my chakra levels are down or something. Just give me a second.”

“Here.” Kakashi took out a food pill and gently put it in my hand.

I took it and immediately felt better. I smiled up at him, but he looked down at me with worrisome eyes.

Suddenly, I heard his voice. My eyes widened and we turned to see Mamoru and Zaheer down at the end of the hallway. Oh no.

“Ah, good. You were right, Mamoru. The Hokage _did_ come personally to save the girl.”

Kakashi stood up, and I could feel his wrath fill up the corridor. He stepped in front of me and I saw him activate his Violet Bolt.

“So was this a ploy to draw me out?” Kakashi said, his voice low.

I put a hand against the wall and stood up, steadying myself. Mamoru’s eyes locked with mine.

Zaheer chuckled. “Partially. Since you’re the Raikage’s best ally, it would be best to wipe you out too.”

“So that’s the plan then, eh? Kill me then the Raikage?” Kakashi’s other hand snuck to his back pouch and I saw him take out a smoke grenade.

“You’ll probably never find out,” Zaheer said, his mouth shaping into a snarl.

Kakashi threw the smoke grenade then turned and grabbed me. We started to run as I heard Zaheer yell at Mamoru to go after us.

The smoke rolled over and then I heard it. I stopped and turned, the electricity already building up in my palms. I grabbed one of the swords that Mamoru swiped down, and then purple electricity flashed before me before his second sword hit me.

I fell back as I heard Kakashi yell at me to keep running. There was no way in hell I was leaving him behind!

Ignoring the pain in my head, I activated my lightning jutsu and crouched down, touching Mamoru’s leg. He yelled out and collapsed on the floor, convulsing as I tased him with my jutsu. I looked at him apologetically as I stood up, grabbing Kakashi’s hand before running again.

The smoke was clearing out and I didn’t want Zaheer to see Mamoru was temporarily stalled in case he would do something himself. We turned into another hallway and saw there were shinobi already closing in on us. We heard more footsteps and there were more coming in from which we came from. Shit. We were surrounded.

“Okay, what’s the plan?”

“Formation B?” Kakashi said, turning his back so it was against mine. I saw his purple lightning flash, the light bouncing off the walls.

I looked as I saw the enemies come running towards us. I rolled my shoulders back, lifting up my hands. “Sure. Can’t be as hard as fighting Deidara.”

Kakashi chuckled. “You despised that man.”

“Art isn’t an explosion,” I said dryly as I went and started to bounce, touching people one by one to become tased, watching them writhe on the ground.

I did a cartwheel, turning and shooting a blast of electricity out of my finger, landing on an enemy where it spread across his body and he fell to the floor. Kakashi was straight up cutting through the enemy’s torso’s or decapitating them.

I couldn’t do much more than temporarily knock them out for if I focused on one too much, another could attack me. So I went fluttering around, tapping people long enough for them to drop on the floor so Kakashi could follow suit in stopping them permanently.

It was weird fighting in this way when I was used to his Chidori, so it took a few seconds to adjust, but then it became like a dance. After we had finished, we started to run again.

“Shikamaru is waiting outside. Sasuke should be almost done with his task.”

“The Uchiha?” I exclaimed, looking at him.

Kakashi glanced at me. “Couldn’t have Naruto come. I left him to look over the village. Sasuke has been trying to pin Zaheer for a long time, and when he heard he was involved in this, he didn’t take no for an answer.”

I slowed down and then grabbed his arm. “Kakashi. They have a weapon here that can target lightning users only. We are helpless if we get caught up in it.” This was assuming they knew how to use it without trying to remove it.

“Well, good thing I brought Shikamaru then, huh? Come on,” he said, turning and we walked into a huge room with high ceilings. It also seemed cathedral-like with huge windows like you would find in a nave of a church.

They were there, waiting for us.

Mamoru stood there beside Zaheer. His swords were out and Zaheer was holding up two fingers.

I gritted my teeth, seething. I was so confused. I thought I was finally getting somewhere with Mamoru. He seemed so genuine when he was telling me about his past and the way he was feeling. I couldn’t believe he was still standing beside Zaheer.

“Maybe we should make the odds in our favor,” Zaheer said. And then he said something I couldn’t quite catch and I flew to the left. Before a scream could leave my throat, I saw a wall come up from the ground—similar to Earth Style: Mud Wall—and the last thing I saw was Kakashi’s eyes widened in fear. He yelled my name and I scrambled to my feet, the wall way too high and stretched across the entire room, blocking us from each other.

“I’m okay!” I yelled and then looked over to see Mamoru standing there. Fear gripped my stomach and I tried to push it down as I activated my jutsu again. “I know you, Mamo. Let’s not fight.”

His shoulders sagged as he heaved a sigh, his swords lighting up. “I agree.”

He threw one and it flew past me, cracking it into the wall. My eyes slightly widened and I turned to look and then he was in front of me. His voice was low as I heard fighting on the other side of the wall. “Let me explain.”

“Explain what?” I hissed. “How you drugged me and brought me here? I can’t believe I trusted you.”

Mamoru’s eyes were pleading and he took a step as I took another one back. I knew I couldn’t do much except deflect his attacks if he were to do so. My eyes flickered to the wall again, hearing Kakashi’s voice rise and fall as he talked to Zaheer.

Mamo turned and threw his other sword, letting it explode against the wall. What the hell was he doing? He put his hands up. “Come on, beautiful. Hear me out. I’m not supposed to say anything. I promised the Hokage—”

I blinked at him. “Kakashi? You spoke to Kakashi?”

He nodded slowly.

My eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”

He came closer, shaking his head. “I’m not. We made an agreement.”

“Agreement?”

“Yes. With the Raikage. I realized it too late when I was in too deep. And then you came along and I ... I couldn’t help but start questioning Lord Zaheer. And he told me his real plans for my uncle and I couldn’t let him do it.” Mamo came closer as I let my hands down, my bottom lip quivering. “But the plans were in motion and you were in danger. And you are so important to me and I couldn’t lose you too,” he said, his hands gently grabbing my arms as he looked down at me, his eyes swirled with concern.

Was this a trick? Was he lying?

“I couldn’t say anything, because I knew Zaheer would use his jutsu on you and see your memories. And for that, I’m so sorry. I put you in danger, and I should be punished for it. But Sasuke is putting bombs around the building now. Kakashi is fighting him off to save time. I’m supposed to be acting as if I’m fighting you with the intent to kill.” Mamo’s words floated above my head and I was desperately trying to catch them to make sense of this.

“The weapon needs to be destroyed indefinitely,” he said, his forehead connecting to mine. “And I need to pay for my sins.”

“Mamo, I—”

He pulled me in, giving me a deep kiss. Shocked, I let him and then he let go just as fast. He pressed his forehead against mine again, whispering against my lips. “You helped me heal in ways I never thought was possible and everything became clear again. You ... You saved me, beautiful. I love you.” His eyes became glassy as he said that last sentence.

He took a step back and I heard a loud cry on the other side. It wasn’t Kakashi’s voice. Then, the wall broke. It crumbled to the ground, dust flying everywhere.

I stared at Mamo as he looked over to the other side. He looked so relieved and my eyes wandered over to see that Kakashi had done it. He had killed Zaheer.

“Come on, we have to go. _Now_ ,” I heard Kakashi say and I looked up to see him picking me up bridal style.

I saw him give a nod to Mamoru and Mamoru returned it before his eyes slid over to me.

 _Wait_ , I wanted to say but I was frozen. What the hell was going on? My lips parted to say something but Kakashi jumped up to a ledge of a broken window.

With my arms locked around Kakashi’s neck, I looked over his shoulder as I saw Mamo standing there in the middle of the room.

He didn’t try to move. He didn’t try to go after us. There was a mild smile on his lips as I saw tears fall down his face.

He was happy I got away. That I was rescued. He had done his mission, but let me live at the same time.

Kakashi yelled at Sasuke to do it. My eyes widened when I realized what was happening, already trying to pull away from Kakashi’s embrace but his hold tightened on me.

Mamo didn’t look away, just watched us as we jumped out the window, fire starting to seep into the room.

Then came the explosion.

I watched in horror as the whole place blew up. With Mamo right in the middle of it.

My blood-curdling scream was muffled by the sound of the explosion, and when Kakashi set me down, I was trying to rush right back towards the burning building. I was screaming and kicking as I felt my face become wet.

Kakashi held me back and he yelled at Shikamaru to use shadow possession on me.

I sobbed into my hands as I sunk to my knees, unable to move.

He’s gone.

He’s gone and the last thing I saw was that gentle, sad smile he had as I left him there.

♦♦♦

It was only later that I found out Mamo helped a lot with the investigation towards the end. It was only later that I found out he was pretty messy and left a trail of clues of where we’d gone. It was only later that I found out his handwriting matched the note that Yamato found about the second hideout within the Hidden Cloud. That just didn’t match up to the type of shinobi he was described on paper.

They had brought me to the hospital to make sure there weren’t any more adverse effects of the drugs. So, Shikamaru relayed all of this to me as I laid back in the hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling. Tears flowed down freely.

We both sucked at being shinobi, I guess.

I felt Shika’s hand gently touch my arm. “He was a good man. Through and through.”

I turned away from him, burying my face in my pillow as I tried to scream into it. But with the amount of screaming I did last night, nothing came out as I had lost my voice.

He was a sacrifice to the mission. He knew. He knew the village wouldn’t have wanted him alive even after fixing his mistakes. They would’ve tortured and killed him slowly. He did what he thought he had to do to make sure the village knew they were safe, to have absolute no doubt in their Raikage. He honestly believed that he wouldn’t be forgiven.

Shikamaru said that Kakashi pleaded with Mamoru to change his mind, even offering to have him come to the Leaf, but Mamo was adamant. Apparently the Raikage said to Kakashi that the customs in the Cloud were different, and that they needed to honor what he wished for, because Mamoru wouldn't change his mind.

I didn’t care. I didn’t see it that way.

I convinced myself I could’ve saved him. If only I had more time. If only they would’ve told me. If only I could’ve talked to him.

If only, if only, if only.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your thoughts, please. This was a hard one for me to write. Thank you so much for reading! The next chapter is a bit of a long one.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter. Thank you for everything.

* * *

**~6 months later**

He knew I didn’t want to see him. Not now anyway.

I was making arrangements to sell the tea shop. I told Temari and she said how Gaara will be sad to hear.

I half-laughed. “Oh yeah? Well, you’re the one who convinced him to invest anyway.”

“I already told you,” she said, sounding exasperated. “I’m not the one who convinced Gaara to invest in your little tea shop.”

We heard footsteps come down the hallway and I looked up to see Shikamaru walk in. He sat down next to Temari and leaned in to give her a kiss on the side of her head. He looked at me, that lazy smile on his lips, and said, “Yeah, it was Kakashi-sensei who did.”

I froze, blinking at them.

Temari furrowed her eyebrows. “Why do you still call him sensei? He’s our Hokage.”

Shikamaru threw an arm around her and shrugged. “Old habits die hard.”

“How ... when ...” I sputtered.

Shikamaru waved his hand dismissively. “Ah, at some Kage Summit or something.” He turned toward Temari. “So what’s the plan for dinner?”

And that was the end of that conversation, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Even as I passed by the Hokage Tower, I felt strange. I looked up at the building, watching the sun glare into the window he was in. I wondered if he was scribbling down in his papers, tired, and pushing forward.

A touch on my shoulder.

I turned and saw Tenten there, her eyes drawing up in concern. I smiled at her and let her pull me away to wherever she was meeting with Guy and Lee.

♦♦♦

**~2 month later**

Eight months total. That’s how long he’s been gone.

I looked out the window of the realtor’s office as she clucked her tongue. She shifted papers around and my eyes swung back at her as she adjusted her glasses on top of her nose.

“Well,” she said. “You finally have a buyer.”

“Hmm.” I rested my face on my palm, already wanting to leave. She wasn’t the most pleasant woman in the world, but she was good at her job.

“Yup. Seems like they want to remain anonymous though.” Her voice was tight and something else underneath there that I couldn’t quite detect.

“That’s fine,” I said offhandedly. I crossed my legs.

“Buying at a higher rate than asked.”

I rose an eyebrow. Oh?

“And they want to remain anonymous?” I asked, finally sitting up straight.

She looked at me over her glasses and nodded. “Yes, that’s what I said.”

It took a lot in me to not let my eyes roll up to the ceiling. I took a deep breath. “All right. Where do I sign?”

“You don’t want any more details?”

I shook my head. “The faster we get this over with, the faster I can move on with my life.”

She gave a curt nod and then handed me papers over a clipboard while I gave her the keys to my shop, lanyard and all.

♦♦♦

**~3 weeks later**

The buyer was generous. It made me curious as to why they would pay more than the asking price, but I didn’t want to think too hard about it.

I had enough money to hire a moving company so I didn’t have to step foot inside the shop. I donated everything. Hana even offered to oversee everything, which I was grateful for.

I had found a temporary office job for the time being. It wasn’t fulfilling or anything, but it helped me save up money.

One day, during work, Naruto came around, and I realized it had been too long since I’ve seen him. He had his hands in his pockets and looked down at me. “Can we talk, big sis?”

Naruto had already talked to my boss and of course she agreed for me to take a break to talk to the hero of the village. I put down my clipboard and nodded at Hana to finish the task. She followed me to my new job. I had to wait weeks until my residency form would be finalized in the Hidden Cloud Village.

Hana would not follow me there.

As we slipped out of the building, I stretched my arms above my head. “Oh, thank you so much for giving me an excuse to get out of there.” I smiled over at Naruto, but he had a serious expression on.

That wasn’t like him.

“Naruto?” I said, touching his arm.

We walked down a path to the original training ground where everything started.

Me becoming angry at Lady Tsunade for sticking me with Team 7. Getting furious with Kakashi for always coming late and wasting our time. Becoming attached to Sakura and Naruto as they mourned their lost friend. Kissing Kakashi for the first time under that same tree.

All the memories flooded back.

“I heard you’re leaving the village, big sis. That true?” he said, his voice low.

I gave him a small smile but he kept looking ahead as we neared our tree. “It’s true,” I finally said.

He turned to me, his face falling. He looked so dejected. “But _why_?”

What do I say to this boy who’s given me more than I have him? What do I say to make the creases in his forehead go away and lift up the corners of his mouth to a smile?

I reached up and brushed his cheek gently. He looked so forlorn. How do I explain that heartbreak and sorrow follow me everywhere in this village? That I wanted to know more about his land, his people.

“Are you running away?”

His words snapped me out of it and I took back my hand, startled. “Running away?”

He nodded, looking away. “Is that why you’re leaving? Are you scared?” He looked back at me in the eyes.

I was at a loss for words. Is that what I was doing?

“What would I be running away from?”

Naruto lifted his head and then a small, but faint, smile appeared on his face. He nodded towards the trail. I turned and my heart dropped.

I saw Kakashi walking down, one hand in his pocket, the other holding an all too familiar book. He hadn’t noticed us yet. Naruto, or a shadow clone of him, was walking alongside Kakashi. Kakashi kept his eyes on the book but I saw his jaw move under his mask, probably replying.

“Did he ...”

I stepped away and Naruto grabbed my wrist before I could flee. “I brought him here. I set this up.”

I gritted my teeth, glaring up at him. “Naruto. Let. Go.” My panic was rising.

“I’m not going to let you run away, big sis.” Naruto’s face hardened and I tried to pull away, my face breaking from anger to pleading.

“I won’t be running away,” I said, desperately, as my eyes flickered to their forms coming closer. My heart was beating out of control, and I knew any minute now Kakashi would look up and see us here. “I just have to go back to work.” I pulled, hard, but Naruto’s grip tightened.

“Stop making a fuss. You might be older than me but we both know I can overpower you.” He glared down at me.

He’s never pulled that card before. He must be sincerely serious. I was going to attempt another plea when it was too late.

I looked up in time to see Kakashi glance up from his book. His eyes told me he looked as shocked as I felt when I saw him. His steps faltered and he whipped his head to Naruto but the shadow clone disappeared. Kakashi’s eyes narrowed to where the shadow clone disappeared, but then he proceeded towards us.

I stopped moving and looked down at the ground. I bit back my frustrated cry, Naruto’s hand still around my wrist. “Hey, Kakashi-sensei. Glad my clone could convince you to come.”

“Naruto,” Kakashi said, his voice sounding tired. “What’s going on?” I peeked up and saw him eye Naruto’s hand around my wrist.

Naruto grinned widely and brought up my hand. “Don’t worry. I did this so she couldn’t run away.”

I could tell Kakashi was frowning. I blushed fiercely at Naruto’s bluntness. Naruto let go as Kakashi snapped his book closed, putting it in his back pouch.

I cradled my hand against my chest and glared up at Naruto. One last attempt. “Naruto, I have to go back to my job now.”

Naruto laughed, clasping his fingers behind his head. “Oh, I’m sure your boss will give you a pass once she sees the Hokage himself walk you back.” He winked at me.

I could punch him. I sighed, crossing my arms.

Kakashi’s voice was flat. “Naruto, just tell us what’s going on.”

Naruto let out a breath, bringing down his arms back at his side. “Look. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but something has been off. For years. And now I hear big sis is leaving the village? Nah, not on my watch.”

I rolled my head up to look at him. “That’s not your decision—!”

“You belong _here_!” Naruto said, his voice exasperated and pleading. His face went back to that forlorn expression. “I’m not the best at this stuff, but Sakura is betting you’re leaving because of Kakashi-sensei!”

I let out a frustrated groan, pressing my palms against my eyes. “That’s not it! You have no idea what ...!” I trailed off, trying not to lose my emotions.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I brought my hands down and looked at Kakashi who shook his head. Then he looked back at Naruto, who shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned at us. “Naruto, we can discuss your actions tomorrow. We have to let her make her own decisions. Now, you have us here. Was that your goal?”

Naruto looked between us and I crossed my arms, looking away. Kakashi’s hand squeezed my shoulder and I took a deep breath.

“Yes,” he said. “I just thought ...”

“We appreciate your concern, but we are both adults. Sometimes you don’t know the entire story of something. It’s also none of your and Sakura’s business to assume things. It’s inconsiderate and your big sis here has been through a lot these past couple of months.” Kakashi’s voice was soft, almost sympathetic, as he spoke to Naruto. I looked up at him and gave him an appreciative smile. He still understood me after all this time.

I put my hand over his on my shoulder and squeezed. He took his hand back and nodded. Naruto scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry, guys. It’s just ...” A blush swept across his cheeks. “I kind of think of you guys as my parents, and I just couldn’t deal with ...” He looked up at me, mumbling the rest. “... you leaving.”

I took a step forward and brought him into a hug. “You’re family, Naruto. I will come back to visit! And you will visit me, right?” I pulled back and his eyes looked like they were shining. I pinched his nose and he scowled, rubbing it. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he mumbled, his blush deepening. I giggled.

Kakashi also took a step forward and bonked the top of his head. “Moron.” But I heard the smile in his voice and Naruto grinned.

“So I’m guessing I should leave?” Naruto said, starting to walk backwards.

Kakashi sighed. “Yeah. We’ll talk.”

“We will?” I said, my eyes widening at him. He gave me a look.

Naruto pumped his fist towards us and said his goodbye. And— _poof!—_ he left.

I collapsed against the tree, letting out a breath. “That kid will be the death of me.”

I heard Kakashi chuckle and I looked up to see him smiling, hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry he dragged you all the way out here.”

“Hey, I can say the same thing to you,” I said, brushing my hair out of my face as the wind blew. “I’m sure you have a lot of Hokage business to attend to. You don’t have to stay.”

Kakashi studied me for a second and then finally spoke. “I have time.”

I smiled, leaning my head back against the tree before closing my eyes. “So, what? Naruto expected us to work out our feelings or something?”

“Something like that.”

I opened my eyes and stared up at the sky.

Then, “So why _are_ you leaving?”

I didn’t look at Kakashi. I only answered truthfully and openly. “To feel close to him. To get to know his land. His people. His favorite foods, places, things.” I put my hands behind me, my fingers running across the bark of the tree. I closed my eyes again, willing to keep my tears at bay. “I don’t know,” I whispered.

It was quiet, the silence filled with birds chirping, the wind blowing, and the water streaming near us. Enough time had passed that I half expected Kakashi to be gone when I opened my eyes. He was completely silent.

When I opened my eyes, he stood there, his eyes touched with sadness.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I never got to tell you that. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I said, waving my hand in the air. But as I said the words, my voice cracked. I was trying to smile, but I realized the tears were already pooling at the edge of my eyes. I tried to repeat myself, to convince him and myself. “It’s okay.”

But at the last syllable, Kakashi wrapped me in his arms and I burst into tears. I buried my face in his chest as he gently put a hand to the back of my head. It suddenly felt extremely warm where his hand was.

I cried until I couldn’t anymore. I felt so exhausted. I let myself become relaxed in his arms and before I knew it, my eyes closed and I slipped into peaceful sleep.

♦♦♦

My eyes fluttered open to the sound of kitchen utensils hitting against pots and pans. Or at least I guessed.

I looked around and realized I wasn’t in my bedroom or even house. I sat up quickly and looked around, panicked. I kept hearing faint noises outside the bedroom.

The room was mainly white but had painted gray walls. The accent of the room was clearly a deep navy blue. I looked down and realized I was wearing a loose shirt and shorts that were a little too big. My eyes slightly widened as I didn’t remember that. I swallowed.

I swung my legs over and my feet hit the wooden floor. I silently walked around, looking for clues. Then on the desk, I saw them.

Three picture frames. My body immediately relaxed. I looked at the first one, an original picture of Team 7. I smiled affectionately at all three genin. I didn’t know much about Sasuke, but I’ve met him once or twice because of Sakura. He looked so annoyed here. Kakashi was smiling but it was a nervous one. Naruto was straight up mad while Sakura looked genuinely happy. I laughed quietly.

The next one was of one with his old teammates. The Fourth Hokage, and his other two teammates he had briefly told me about. Obito and Rin. The third picture was of Kakashi in his full Hokage attire with Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. They were all smiling genuinely in this one. That one was my favorite.

When I walked around, I saw his bookshelf. It was surprisingly full of more books than his last place. It’s a wonder why he’s always reading the same books out in public when he had so many other options.

I fingered all the books and read the titles briefly before moving on. Then there was another photo frame on another shelf attached to the wall. I froze, wondering why he still had it. It was a photo of us. I had been so excited that we had become official, I made Sakura take a photo for us. At that moment, Naruto said something that made me laugh and Kakashi looked down at me, his eyes squinting in a laugh as well.

I picked it up and ran my finger lightly over his face. He was so happy here.

Was he?

I could never tell. Especially after he ended things.

I smiled sadly and put the picture back. I went over to the door and slowly opened it, peeking outside. The place was so nice. And looked new.

Maybe being Hokage had its perks.

I walked out carefully, making sure my steps were silent. A shinobi’s biggest skill was stealth.

I heard some mumbling and then a sigh. I put my back to the wall and peeked around the corner. Kakashi stood there, one arm crossed into his elbow while the other hand was stroking his chin. He didn’t have his mask on. His forehead creased as he furrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought. My eyes flickered down to what he was in thought about and almost let out a giggle.

Choosing between coffee or tea in the morning. He always did that but then chose tea anyway.

I saw on the kitchen table two plates full of food. My stomach growled immediately, and his head swung over to my direction. Blushing, I stepped forward sheepishly. “Morning.”

His face broke into a genuine grin. “You’re up.”

I shuffled my feet and nodded. “Yeah. Although I don’t ... remember what happened?”

He nodded and then motioned for me to sit at the table. “I’ll explain. You start eating.”

“Okay.” I walked over to the table and sat down on one side. I saw him pick up the tea and smiled. Some things never change, I guess. “Can you pour me one cup too? Please?”

“Already ahead of you.”

I hummed my appreciation. I lifted a fork and moved the eggs around. I hesitated but my stomach growled again. I took a bite and wasn’t surprised at how good it was. Kakashi grew up alone so he had to learn how to cook for himself.

I took a bite of toast when a mug was set in front of me. “Thank you. Also, this is delicious!”

Kakashi smiled easily and then sat down. “Thanks.”

I swallowed and then took a careful sip of my tea, looking over at him. I tried to hide my blush behind my mug, always caught by surprise by his handsome face with his mask off. I looked him over and wondered how anyone could age so beautifully.

I wanted to reach out and poke that beauty mark by his chin like I used to. His eyes lifted to meet mine as he also took a sip of his tea.

“So ...” I said, raising an eyebrow at him.

I sat back in my chair and lifted my knees to my chest.

Kakashi set down his mug. “I used medical ninjutsu on you yesterday.” He said it so casually and like it was normal.

I gave him a dubious look. “You what?”

He chuckled at my expression and picked up his own fork. “I only know one thing and Sakura taught me. It’s to help relax or relieve tension in your muscles. I used it on your head yesterday and you fell asleep.” He paused, looking at me, his fork with food in mid-air. “You must’ve been under a lot of stress for you to sleep throughout the entire day and night.” He took a bite.

I looked down at my food and set down my mug. Maybe. I wasn’t sure. Is that what it was?

“Oh. I slept through the day?” I briefly thought about work and everything else as my brain was catching up with what he said.

“Don’t worry. I stopped by your job and told them you had to take leave.”

I smiled, resting my chin on my knees as I wrapped my arms around them. I looked at him. “Thanks.”

Kakashi shrugged.

“Why bring me here?” I asked softly. Not accusatory. Not angry. Just genuine curiosity.

Kakashi paused again. He swallowed his food and then tilted his head. “Hmmm. How do I answer that ... I just did.” He smiled.

I threw a napkin ball at him and he laughed.

“Whatever,” I muttered. I put down my feet and started to eat again. Then I looked at the clock and almost choked on my food. I looked at him after swallowing my food. “Shouldn’t you be in your office? Shikamaru might come barraging through your door.”

Kakashi laughed quietly. “I sent a shadow clone for the time being. I’m sure it will take a while for Shikamaru to figure it out since he’s going to be running around all day.”

I let out a sigh. “You’re going to work him to death.”

“I’m just preparing him for when Naruto takes over.”

“Oh yeah?” I said, smiling.

Kakashi nodded, taking another sip of his tea. I took another bite of my toast. Then, “So why am I in your clothes, sir?” I rose an eyebrow at him.

He grinned mischievously. “Just thought you would be more comfortable that way.”

“You big perv,” I said, rolling my eyes.

We laughed quietly.

“In all honestly, you woke up half-asleep sometime and asked for some more comfy clothes.” Kakashi shrugged. “So, I didn’t do anything.” I laughed because I would so do that.

After finishing our food, I thanked him again and helped clean up. I asked about the place and he said that with the new job, he upgraded in life. I laughed. Apparently the apartments were newer than the others and he was secretly living here under the name Sukea.

I went over to the kitchen window after we were done cleaning. I moved the curtain and saw we were high up. The village was rapidly changing, becoming more modern. More buildings grew where trees used to be. The Hokage Tower was in sight. I looked down and saw people bustling around. Off in the far left, there was my little hill where my house sat. Oh.

I felt Kakashi come up behind me, putting a hand up to the wall. “It’s a good view, yeah?” he said.

I nodded, and I felt him tentatively place his hand on my hip. I felt the hesitation as his fingers brushed against the shirt and then he placed it there firmly. I leaned back into him, letting myself be selfish for once, and then his entire arm went around my waist, pulling me closer. I felt his chin rest on my shoulder and I closed my eyes.

The what-ifs started to pour in my head and I felt myself diving deeper into them. I wanted so badly to fall into this. Whatever this was.

“I’m retiring soon,” he mumbled into my ear.

I let out a small laugh. “Getting too old for the job?”

Kakashi let a puff of air escape his noise, and I felt him smile. “Something like that.” He brought his other arm down and wrapped it around my waist too, squeezing lightly.

“You say that but we both know Naruto won’t be ready for a long while.”

After all, Hinata was about to give birth any day now, and I’m sure Naruto wanted to focus on his family for now.

“Mmm.” He agreed with me.

We stayed like that for a long while and I finally closed the curtain, turning around in his arms.

He didn’t let me go, but looked down at me, searching for something in my face.

I reached up to touch his cheek, then my fingers brushed up slowly to touch the edge of his scar. His voice brought me back to reality. “What if I _was_ retiring? For real. Would you stay?”

I was taken aback and went to take a step back, but his arms tightened around me. His forehead pressed against mine. I was at a loss for words. “Would you stay?” he repeated, whispering. There was something in his voice, something I was deeply familiar with. The sound made my heart hurt and I felt the swell of panic fill my chest.

He was pleading, begging, hanging onto the last tiny hope.

“Kakashi, I ...”

His fingers spread across the small of my back and it was like he was scared of letting go. His eyes closed and he was so close now. His lips brushed against mine as he spoke softly. “Please. Don’t go.”

My eyes dimmed and I reached up to place my hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes, and I knew he was being serious. He would give it all up. He would resign tomorrow if I asked.

No.

I couldn’t do that. Not to my village.

The very same village I was leaving behind, and that I entrusted in his care.

I felt tears sting my eyes and I shook my head slowly. He closed his eyes in defeat and then, without thinking about it, I reached up on the tips of my toes and kissed him. Deeply.

His response was immediate and earnest. He held onto me like it would be the last time, and it probably would be. I gasped for air and he brought me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He wasted no time and walked over to his bedroom. When I laid there, my face was flushed pink and he looked down at me like I was delicate.

It was different this time.

We took our time, helping each other take off our clothes. Him whispering things in my ear, tears falling down my face, kisses more passionate than ever. I told him I loved him. I never stopped. I don’t know how many times I said it that morning. When he entered me, I forgot everything and fell into a blissful world where we could be together and everything was okay.

Afterwards, we laid in bed together. We let ourselves just be. We let ourselves fantasize about what could’ve been, how we could manage it, when we could do it. He would press his lips in my hair every now and then and I would lazily trace shapes on his naked chest. We let ourselves pretend to be who we wanted to be in that moment.

Later, he had to leave. Shikamaru caught on it wasn’t him and his shadow clone disappeared so the memories rushed back into his head. He apologized.

“It’s okay.” I smiled up at him and I really meant it that time.

He looked like he didn’t want to leave. I got up and threw his shirt over my head. I helped him get ready and fit his arm band on him, making sure he looked Hokage official. I ruffled my fingers through his hair and then adjusted his headband. I giggled as he threw his arms around my waist and pulled me close, kissing my lips. He was smiling against them. Is this what it would be like every morning if I became his?

I bid him farewell and he gave me one final kiss before he left, long and deep. He reluctantly let go and I had to push him out the door.

When I walked back down the hall, I passed the little hooks attached to the wall where he kept his keys. I stopped as I noticed it out of the corner of my eye.

Hanging there was something I was familiar with. I went over and ran my hand down the tattered lanyard with a little pug keychain attached to the end of it. The very same one Kakashi gave me years ago when we were officially dating. And hanging alongside the keychain was the key to my tea shop.

I smiled and held the key in my hand. So it was him.

It was always him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read all the way through! It means so much to me that you have read my story. This is the first fanfic that I have completed all the way through.
> 
> The next chapter is a short epilogue, but is no way mandatory to read to finish the story (there are major Boruto spoilers so that's why). In this ending, the OC leaves to the Cloud and doesn't come back. The epilogue is for those who are wanting a more "happy ending" if you will :) I figured I would do it this way, because on one hand, I think she deserved to figure herself out and find happiness. On the other, I am a sap by heart.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts! I am so proud of this work. I am working on a longer project that hasn't been completed yet, but I have another short project in the works that I want to start publishing sometime this week! I hope you guys like this next one. It's a bit more light and fluffier than this piece, but still a bit of angst.
> 
> I hope you guys have a fantastic day, and again, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am over the moon by the amount of support. This has been everything to me and I never thought I would share my work with people again.
> 
> Till next time! <3


	19. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue (Optional to read)

* * *

**WARNING:**

**There are spoilers in this epilogue for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. If you have not made it past episode 18 then there will be major spoilers! I'm giving this warning just in case. I also fixed some things and then I adjusted the future by a few years, so not everything is canon.**

**Thank you!**

* * *

I heard the news.

Sakura had already sent a text excitedly telling me the events. When it would happen, what time it would be, and was I going to be there?

I laughed quietly at myself and set down my new phone, looking at my television. It was the last thing I had to deal with as everything else was in boxes.

My time in the Hidden Cloud Village had come to an end. No matter how much Killer Bee begged me to stay, saying I was the best damned manager he’s ever had, I told him my heart was always set in the Leaf.

He blamed Naruto and I laughed as they exchanged words in their minds. It was the fastest way to communicate with him these days.

It’s been eight years and I was ready to go back home. The Cloud had welcomed me with open arms seeing as I helped with the mission that the Raikage requested. I spent a lot of time with him, learning about Mamo. That’s how I met Killer Bee and Naruto even vouched for me. I ended up managing him for these past eight years.

Omoi held me tightly when I said my goodbyes. He kept becoming paranoid that I was making the wrong decision or that the train will have something terrible happen to it while I was on it. I punched him when he would say stupid shit like that. I said goodbye to my other friends.

And at the train station, I looked back, silently thanking the village for giving me some of the best years of my life.

Back at the Leaf, Shikamaru and Temari greeted me at the train station. I squealed and ran towards them, bringing them in for a huge hug. I told them I couldn’t wait to meet their little one! I have seen various photos through the texts and emails. I had set up my new home before I left the Cloud. Shikamaru helped me and found a small house I could rent. For the time being. As soon as I got settled, maybe I could search for something more permanent.

I had hired movers in advance to move everything in, and again, Shikamaru said he oversaw everything. I owed him big time. He must be so tired with the job.

Tomorrow was the day. I unpacked as much as I could and laid back on my bed, finally relaxing.

I smiled, thinking of all the faces I would meet.

That night, I was already on the phone with Killer Bee as he complained about his new manager. Apparently his new manager messed up a potential gig and he wanted me to fix it. I rolled my eyes and handled as much as I could over the phone.

I woke up the next morning and put on a nice sundress. The day was going to be beautiful. I put half of my hair up, and grabbed my purse and headed out. I reunited with Sakura and met her cute kid, Sarada. Guy and Lee showed up, and when a smaller version of Lee jumped out, my eyes bugged out. He looked almost identical to Lee! I laughed and asked where his mother was. Lee commented that Tenten was running a bit late.

Temari came through with Shikadai and he looked so much like his dad but had his mother’s eyes. Chouji gave me a huge bear hug, and then Karui came through with their daughter, Chocho. I felt overwhelmed by everything but my heart never felt so whole. Everyone was so happy and finding their places in life. Eventually, people murmured around as the ceremony was supposed to start minutes ago. I glanced at Sakura and she shrugged, shaking her head.

Just as Tenten arrived, everyone turned their direction up to the top of the Hokage Tower. Kakashi came in view and I smiled warmly. My heart picked up a little speed at my first sight of him.

He announced the new Hokage and when a person that looked like Naruto stepped up, me and Sakura gave each other looks. That was _not_ Naruto. I rose an eyebrow and she just shrugged again.

Kakashi passed his hat to the Naruto look-a-like and the ceremony ended after he gave a few words. Cheers abrupt from the crowd and streamers flew into the air. I laughed as I hunched down a little, wanting to avoid any silly string tossed in the air.

Later on, there was a congratulatory party at Ino’s house. She shrieked when she saw me and then excitedly introduced me to her child, Inojin. He was sassy like his mother but had the aura of Sai. I laughed at her enthusiasm as she bragged about his skills.

Later, Hanabi came and explained what had happened. Konohamaru was right alongside her. Apparently, Naruto’s youngest had activated her Byakugan and punched Naruto so hard that he was going to be knocked out till morning. Konohamaru had to fill in last minute so the ceremony could be completed. Everyone roared with laughter, and so we continued celebrating without him. I would have to visit him tomorrow.

I took a drink and everyone practically swarmed me. They wanted to know more details about my time in the Cloud and what it was like working with the famous Killer Bee. I giggled as a moment with Killer Bee was never dull no matter how many times Darui, the new Raikage, said.

Later on, someone else must have arrived since there was a slight buzzing towards the front of the house. I heard Akamaru bark happily and I turned to see who entered when Hanabi grabbed my forearms and turned me back around. She was asking about our shared hobby and I laughed, matching her enthusiasm. Just then, Shikamaru came up behind me, tapping on my shoulder.

Hanabi let go of me and I rose my eyebrows at him. “Got a surprise for you in the backyard.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. “I don’t like surprises,” I said, frowning.

Shikamaru laughed, pushing me to the back door. Ino helped him and practically shoved me out of her house. They laughed as they did so.

“What the—! You guys!” I said, trying to open the door.

I heard a chuckle behind me. “So, they kicked you out too, huh?”

I whipped around, my eyes wide. Kakashi stood there, hands in his pockets, his eyes squinting up as he smiled.

Tears formed in my eyes and I was in his arms faster than he anticipated. I practically almost toppled him over. “Kakashi!” His arms came around me and he held me close as I nuzzled into his chest. I felt his cheek rest on top of my head.

I closed my eyes, turning my head to rest my cheek on his chest.

It was in that moment that I realized no time had passed between us. It felt like just yesterday we had kissed, talked, and hugged.

I lifted my head to look up at him. His eyes searched mine for something. When I smiled, he had found it. His entire being relaxed and I leaned upward, my toes lifting me up.

His forehead met mine and I closed my eyes.

“I’m home.”

“You’re home,” he echoed softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading the entirety of this story!! I hope you all enjoyed this! I couldn't resist making Metal Lee's mother be Tenten! It still angers me how they're not together in the series! Haha. I am a Lee/Tenten shipper for life! :p
> 
> I am so proud of this piece and I appreciate all the comments and support I have received. It means so much to me, you guys have no idea. I don't want to get too sappy at the moment, but this has been sort of like therapy to me.
> 
> Thank you all again! I hope to see you in the next one! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Please give constructive criticism. This a short story I came up with and I have another longer project in the works. I realize that Kakashi is a bit OOC here, but it fits for the story (I do not condone any abusive behavior IRL! Although it doesn't get any worse, he just is a bit controlling). I tried to remain true to his character, but realize it's kind of hard when you want your story to go a certain way. Formatting might be weird because I wrote all this on my phone haha. I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you for reading!


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